


All You Have is Your Fire

by Donttalktomeimfangirling (Jillian_k)



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare, The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-28
Updated: 2018-05-02
Packaged: 2019-04-13 20:26:41
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 22,384
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14120127
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jillian_k/pseuds/Donttalktomeimfangirling
Summary: With the kingdom, and his own life, at stake Alec Lightwood must leave his new crown behind and seek help and refuge from an old friend. But will a promise made almost five years earlier be enough to take back the kingdom, or is Alec the only one that even remembers a shared month by the sea?





	1. Lay Me Gently in the Cold Dark Earth

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who only took a month to start crankin out a new story this time?  
> This one's kinda a Game of Thrones mixed with the Notebook (not really at all but you'll get what I'm trying to say). There's probably a better explanation for it but I can't think of one.  
> I'm notorious for having no idea how many chapters I will end up writing BUT I can promise it will be shorter than my last one. I will also be posting every Wednesday after a new episode of Shadowhunters.  
> If you like Cinderella stories or competitive ice skating, check out my other two (complete) Malec stories!

Take it with, or leave it behind? Shit, how was this the hardest part of the night?

Alec stared down at the silver crown sitting on its soft blue velvet pillow on the table in his room. It stared back at him with judgment, as if to say "How dare you even consider leaving me behind like everything else?" 

Imogen Herondale had been the first to die with this crown on her head, callously murdered with with a knife through the heart as she slept.

Next had been Gia Penhallow; poisoned at a banquet only days after she had ascended to the throne. 

People were more on their guard then. The crown wasn't hereditary, but everyone knew who would be next in line. Maryse Lightwood managed to survive her coronation. She was found the next morning, drowned in the lake by the palace. It was no secret who was behind the murders. Sebastian Morgenstern, spurred son of the mad king Valentine who had been killed after a short and brutal war by his own daughter Clarissa. Imogen's grandson and Alec's best friend Jace left Sebastian for dead. Somehow the bastard had come back, seeking vengeance. 

Alec was king now. His coronation had occurred earlier that same day, the crown heavy on his head. He had been next in line after his mother, second in command behind her in the Royal Military. They had buried her yesterday.

Alec knew Sebastian was coming for him. He was the youngest monarch in ages at only twenty four; his hold on the throne was weak at best. The few loyal soldiers that had served directly under him in the Mortal War were posted outside his door. 

No one was posted on the balcony. 

An oversight, certainly, but Alec hadn't brought it up. It was all part of the plan.

His bag was packed, stuffed with nondescript clothing no one would notice was missing from his room. He had gold and silver enough to get him where he was going without being suspicious. Now the final decision had to be made. Should he take the royal crown, or leave it. 

Really it wasn't about the crown, but about the plan. If he took the crown, it would look like he ran, like he had abandoned the kingdom in order to save himself. But with the crown far from Idris Sebastian could not claim himself king. The kingdom would be left to another war, but Sebastian would not sit on the throne. 

If he left the crown, Alec could stage a murder. He could make everyone believe Sebastian had killed him. Alec believed Sebastian would take credit if the crown was up for grabs; for every other murder the crown had been far from the victim and out of reach of the usurper. 

Sebastian would look for him, knowing he wasn't dead, but he would want to maintain the lie much more than he would want to find Alec, thinking he was just a coward trying to save his own skin. Sebastian would sit on the throne, yes. But only until Alec could return with a way to end the monster for good.

Alec sighed and wrapped the bag around his shoulders, leaving the crown on the pillow. He would be back, he thought to himself. He had to. 

Staging the room was of the utmost importance. Pressing a knife to the palm of his hand made him wince, but it was nothing compared to the pain of snapping his beloved arrows in half. 

He ripped up the mattress, slashed through the curtains, and covered every surface between the bed and the balcony with blood. He coated the tips of his finger with the thick red liquid seeping from his palm and pulled on the door frame leading to the balcony. Sign of a struggle. 

When he was done he stood with his back to the balcony and surveyed his work. Hopefully it would be enough. Hopefully Sebastian would capitalize on Alec's staged death. Hopefully no one would try to find his body. Hopefully. 

Wrapping his palm to staunch the bleeding, Alec took a minute to sit down and catch his breath. He slid the knife, now clean, into the holster in his boot.

All he had to do was make it across the sea. He was betting everything on a promise made almost five years before to a different man than he was today. A promise made to a soldier and not a king. 

But it was all he had. 

Isabelle would be furious. Jace would be crushed. Max would be frightened and devastated, losing both Alec and their mother at such a young age. But it would all be worth it. Hopefully. 

With a final glance around the room, a room he had moved into only hours before, Alec crept outside. He adjusted the bag on his back and gripped the climbing hydrangea plant that reached from the ground to just to the left of his balcony. The night air had a light chill but that wasn't the cause of Alec's shivers. He swung his legs over the rail and carefully secured his feet in the vines, wincing in pain as his hand held onto the plant for dear life. 

Every gust of wind on his descent made his heart stop. Every sound from above or below gave him pause. His hands ached, his head pounded, his feet struggled to find purchase. He promised, Alec thought to himself over and over. He promised me. 

Finally his feet touched grass and Alec released his death grip on the vine. he hurriedly ducked from view of the ground floor window.    
Carefully judging the timing, Alec sprinted across the garden as a cloud briefly covered the moon. On the unlikely chance someone was looking out onto the garden at three in the morning they might see movement, but not Alec. 

The war had honed his skills in stealth and he made not a sound as he headed for the wall at the end of the garden. One, two… now. 

He scrambled up the vines growing on the wall and threw himself over before the next patrol could turn the corner. He tucked and rolled out of the fall, coming to rest in the bush antil the guard passed. 

And then he was off into the night. 

* * *

Hours later the sun rose on a grieving kingdom. Alec watched from under a layer of dirt and scratches as the black flag signalling the death of a monarch was raised above the castle. He was huddled in the market of a village not far from the palace, but not one of the closest ones. No one knew him here; he had been raised miles away from Idris, only moving into the palace when his mother was crowned less than a week earlier. Still, the farther away he got the better.

"Another one?" a woman carrying an empty basket cried to her companion. "This kingdom is in ruins!"

"Alexander Lightwood, dead?" another whispered. "How can they keep putting people on the throne like lambs to be slaughtered?" 

Alec sighed and pulled the hood on his head a little tighter around his face. 

"Do you need some food, love?" Alec started at the words coming from just behind his shoulder and looked up to see a lovely young woman with dark skin and cropped hair tied back with a strip of orange cloth. 

"Uh, what?" he croaked, quickly averting his gaze.

"You're sitting out here all alone, hiding under that hood of yours. You didn't sleep in my tavern last night and if you slept in another or on the street then either way I can promise you a better breakfast. So I'll ask again. Are you hungry?" she said with a smirk. Alec met her eyes briefly and let out a small laugh at her expression. 

"I have money, ma'm," he responded. The woman shrugged.

"Didn't say I was gonna give it to you for free, just asked if you were looking to eat." 

She stuck out her hand suddenly, surprising Alec but he managed to control his wince. 

"Maia," she said. Without making more eye contact Alec heaved a sigh and delicately shook the offered hand. 

"I'm Al… Gideon. I'm Gideon," Alec corrected quickly, knowing his face was bright red from fear and embarrassment at the near slip up. 

Maia quirked an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips. She sized him up for a moment before shrugging. 

"I don't believe you, but your secrets are yours to keep. Lord knows I have my share," she laughed. She nodded towards a tavern across the street from where Alec had been resting. The Hunter's Moon. 

"Come grab some food before you continue on what I'm sure is a wild adventure, Mr. Gideon."

Even in the present circumstances, Alec couldn't keep the grateful smile off his face, his first real smile in weeks. 

"Yeah. Alright Miss Maia."

The Hunter's Moon was surprisingly clean, though simple. It was early, but late enough now that the dawn workers has already been in and gone. Akec tracked in behind Maia, taking a careful seat at the bar as she spun into place behind it. 

"So what'll it be?" she asked. Alec shrugged. 

"Whatever you recommend." Maia nodded and flounced through the double doors into the kitchen, leaving Alec alone. 

Well, mostly alone. There was one man at the other end of the bar, head down and resting on his arms. Alec fiddled with his hood, the stool beneath him creaking as he moved. 

"Dios mio, would you cut it out!" the other man moaned. Alec froze, glancing over, The man was raising his head, dark hair curling around an unusually pale face with red rimmed eyes. 

"Sorry," Alec mumbled as Maia returned. Upon seeing who he was addressing, she rolled her eyes. 

"Ignore Raphael. He drank too much last night, always leaves him cranky as all hell."

"Maia, you have yet to see me cranky. You'll know it when you see it though," the man, Raphael, muttered. Maia poured a glass of beer and set it in front of him, and he gripped the handle gratefully. 

She set another down in front of Alec, who furrowed his brow in confusion.

"It's seven in the morning," he said. Maia sighed. 

"It's seven in the morning on the day of the death of a king. Never to early for a toast." 

"That kid was a fucking idiot to let them put that crown on his head," Raphael mused. Alec tried not to breath. 

"Maybe, but I think it was brave. He had a duty and he didn't let fear stop him," Maia said. She stared down into her glass for a moment. "He would've been a good king, I think," she sighed. 

Alec frowned, finding his words again. "How do you now?" he asked, before ducking his head back down to avoid her gaze. 

"I didn't say I know. I said I think," Maia corrected. "He had his mother's brains, but a courage and heart all his own. He fought in the Mortal War when he was only twenty one. Became second in command only a year later. I had really hoped he would have the time to make a difference around here." 

The three sat in silence for a moment before Raphael let out a deep sigh and raised his now half empty glass. 

"King Alexander, may he rest in peace," he grumbled. Maia enthusiastically repeated the cry before tipping her glass back. 

Alec whispered the words into his own beer and took a quiet sip. 

He would have time, Alec thought. Time to make a difference in the lives of his people. When Sebastian was out of the way and the whole nightmare was over he would take back the crown and be the king Maia wanted him to be. The kind of king his people needed. 

And if the promise he needed so badly to be kept fell through… well then he would just need to figure out another way to take back his kingdom. 

* * *

With a stomach full of food and a generous tip left behind, Alec bid farewell to Maia and Raphael. It would be several hours until he reached the port city he was headed to; there were several closer but he knew Sebastian would be sending people to look for him and the ports would be the first place he'd check.

The road to the sea was too highly trafficked for Alec to feel safe on, so he hiked through the forest that ran parallel. he was on high alert, paying attention to every sight and sound as the sun crawled across the sky. 

When he finally reached the port city, the day was coming to an end. He waited in the forest until night had completely fallen and then carefully made his way through the still busy town now only lit by torchlight. He kept his hood on as he made his way to his destination in the heart of the district. 

At precisely eight o'clock, Alec ducked into the doorframe of a small, unassuming home. He knocked quietly with the hope of not drawing any attention to himself. A few moments later the door swung open and he was pulled inside. 

Simon Lewis was the only person in all of Alicante that knew Alec was alive. He was a friend of Clarissa Fairchild's, the killer of Valentine and Sebastian's sister. He didn't know Simon very well, which worked in his favor. Sebastian would never look for him here. 

"I can't believe it worked," whispered Simon as he ushered Alec to the kitchen. "I thought it wasn't going to work, I've got to be honest." 

Alec rolled his eyes and sunk into a chair at the table. He pulled the bag from his sore shoulders and dropped it on the floor by his feet. 

"It had to work, Simon," he sighted, running his hands over his face and wincing at the feeling of he blood soaked bandages scraping across his cheeks. 

"I'll get you some new coverings," Simon offered as he lit the gas lamps in the room, but only the ones far from the window. "I'll grab some food too." 

Alec nodded gratefully as Simon turned to sift through his cabinets. He carefully began to unwrap his hands, brushing off the dried blood. Simon brought over a bowl of warm water, strips of cloth bandages, a board with bread and cheese, and a glass of water. 

"Sorry, best I can do right now," he said. Alec waved off the apology. 

"Thank you Simon. Really." 

Simon shrugged and sat down across from him. 

"Sebastian's gotta be stopped, you know? If you think the answer's in Edom, then I think it's worth a try. Anything is better than what everyone's been doing so far."

Alec shot him a soft smile and dipped his hand in the bowl, watching the water turn red as he bit make a grimace. Simon handed him a towel with a nod and leaned back. 

"Clary can't bring herself to hate him," he mused quietly. Alec snorted. 

"Really? Cause I find it pretty easy," he replied. 

"I think it's hard for her to separate the brother she always wanted from the man he actually is. Valentine wasn't exactly the world's best dad."

"Maybe not," Alec huffed, "Yet, one of his children turned into a serial murdering psychopath and the other did not. It can't all be Valentine."

"Maybe. I don't know. I think anyone would have a hard time hating their sibling," Simon sighed. 

Alec hummed in response as he munched on the food. Could anything Izzy, or Max, or even Jace as his brother in arms, do ever make him hate them? 

It was hard to say. 

"The ship you need to be on leaves at dawn. I've got some non perishables for you to take. It's three days by sea, you know," Simon said, changing the subject. 

Alec nodded slowly. "I've never been to Edom," he said slowly, "am I going to blend in?" 

Simon frowned and chewed on his lip. 

"Edom's a lot more colorful than what you're wearing. It's warmer there too. You should be alright but I'll give you one of my hoods from when I last went so you don't look so bland you become noticeable." 

"Colorful?" Alec asked with a quirked eyebrow. Simon nodded with a smile. 

"Ever since the old king died the whole kingdom has had a new life breathed into it." 

Of course it had, Alec thought. There was a new king on the throne now. 

Once Alec finished his meal his day finally caught up with him. He could barely keep his eyes open. He said a final thank you to Simon, packed his bag with the food and hood gifted to him, and fell into a deep sleep on the floor in the living room, keeping low in case anyone walked in the front door before he could leave. It was unlikely but better to be safe than sorry. Tomorrow would be the day he left Alicante behind, vowing only to return when he could end the reign of Sebastian Morgenstern. 

It was going to be anything but easy. 

* * *

Alec awoke before dawn and snuck out of Simon's house, careful to leave no evidence of his presence.

The port was already teeming with life. Men headed to work on ships and fishing boats, women dragging their feet as they headed home from a long night of their own, children running unsupervised through the streets. 

Alec heard whispers about him from several of the people whose paths he crossed. King Alexander, dead. Sebastian rumored to have stolen the crown during the murder. The kingdom, doomed. 

So far so good then. 

Alec clambored stealthily onto the trade ship headed for Edom. When they had first hatched this plan only days before the ship had been, Simon had searched through all of the departing passenger ships the day after Alec planned to die. Not a single one was heading to Edom, and the next wasn't scheduled for several days. Stowing away would have to do. 

He quietly crept below deck and hid in the already packed cargo hold among the barrels of grain and crates filled with jars of lamp oil, getting as close to a porthole as possible. 

And now, to wait. 

The journey was difficult not because the seas were rough or the ship was intercepted by pirates. It was just boring.

Three days at seas with no company and nothing to do but worry was enough to drive a man insane. Alec kept hidden though; he ate his way through Simon's supply and let the waves gently rock him to sleep for most of the trip.

As the sun began to rise on the third day he listened carefully for the call signalling land. He could still be executed as a stowaway if they found him while unloading the cargo, so it was imperative that he be gone as soon as they were docked. 

When the ship came to a stop he swung himself out of the porthole and carefully lowered himself into the water. He swam down Edom's port and pulled himself up onto a dock a few hundred yards away. 

Success. 

His feet touched the wooden dock of a fishing boat that had already departed for the day. He dropped his soggy bag down and breathed a sigh into the midmorning sun of Edom. 

Under King Asmodeus, Edom had suffered. He was a tyrant, similar to Valentine in greed and violence if not in ideology. The streets of Edom had been infamously crime ridden, with Asmodeus' secret police turning a blind eye and focusing on the poor and disenfranchised. 

Now the streets were cleaner, if not perfect, and the secret police had been disbanded. The new king had been good to the kingdom. 

Alec was suddenly grateful for the hood provided for him by Simon. The plain brown one he had been using in Alicante would have stuck out like a sore thumb. The streets were colorful and lively, with people quite literally coming in all shapes, sizes and colors. Alec had not really seen too many people like this before; skin every color of the rainbow, horns, forked tongues, tails. The only Edomite he had ever met was able to hide his mark, though Alec could never understand why. It was one of his favorite things about him. 

The castle was closer to the sea than Idris was in Alicante. It was built into the cliff, with one of the walls looking directly out over the ocean. If Alec could make it through the market he would at the very least find momentary sanctuary. 

Hopefully. 

Weaving through the market up the hill, Alec kept his head down, hood pulled over his eyes, bare feet kicking up dirt with every step. He had had to leave his bots behind; no one wore them in Edom. His knife was now carefully tucked into his waistband, concealed by his off white tunic. 

"Madzie, stop!" 

Alec spun around as a tiny shape swept by him in a rush. A woman with blue skin was running up the hill after it. 

"Someone please stop her!"

Alec, despite his desire to keep his head down, sprinted after the little girl. She was fast but he was faster, and he managed to wrap an arm around her waist, forcing her to stop. 

"Woah there little lady," he laughed. "Where are you going in such a hurry?" 

The blue skinned woman caught up to them, breathing heavily. 

"Goodness child, you know you can't just take off like that!" She looked at Alec as he transferred the little girl into her waiting arms. 

"Thank you, young man. I really appreciate the assistance." 

"It's no problem," he said with a smile. He winked at the little girl now gripping the woman's legs. "She's a, uh, handful?" he asked. The woman rolled her eyes. 

"That's an understatement. I've never done as much running in my life as I have with this kid. Can I do anything to repay you?" she questioned.

Alec shook his head. "No, really, it's perfectly fine….Actually, some directions would be great," he finished slowly. He had been walking through the market for awhile and felt like he kept having to backtrack through the twisting streets. "I'm trying to get to the castle, which way is the best way to go?"

The woman raised her eyebrows in surprise. "The castle? You got an appointment with the king?" Alec winced. 

"Something like that," he replied carefully. 

"Well, you're headed in the right direction. The quickest way there from here is to take that street over there all the way to the top of the hill."    
Alec turned to see where she was pointing and nodded. 

"Thank you, I really appreciate it…"    
"Catarina," she filled in, sticking a hand out for him to shake. "And you are?"

"Gideon," he lied easily. "I'm here as just a quick stop in town, business with Alicante." 

Catarina's eyes grew sad. "You left at an awfully good time then. That Sebastian is trouble, if you don't mind me saying.    
Alec barked out a laugh, "Yeah, I know."

Catarina nodded solemnly. "I'm sorry for the loss of your recent monarchs, especially that Alexander. He was too young."    
Alec said nothing, just offered a curt nod and averted his eyes. 

"Well," she continued with a more upbeat tone, "I'll let you get on your way then. Thank you again, and good luck at the castle! Say goodbye, Madzie."

The little girl waved shyly from behind Catarina's legs and the two of them turned and walked off. 

With a sigh Alec turned to look up at the castle. Good luck indeed. 

It wasn't until he reached the large oak doors of the palace that Alec realized that this was where his plan ended. How did he get in? Just shout out his name and hope someone was listening and would let him in?

"Hey you!" came a voice from above. "What are you doing here?" 

Alec looked up to see a man with pale green skin leaning over the rampart and staring down at him. He was dressed in what must be noble attire and was holding a smoking cigarette between his fingers. 

"Uh… I need to speak to the king?" he called out. The man laughed. 

"Yeah kid, so do a lot of people. You got an audience?" 

Alec shook his head. 

"Then he can squeeze you in in about a month. You wanna leave a name?" 

Alec bit his lip. "Can you just… tell him that an Alexander is here to see him? He'll want to see me, I promise."

The man looked down at him and took a slow drag from his cigarette. Then he shrugged and pushed back from the wall. 

Alec took a seat on the road, legs pulled under him. He would wait until the man returned or he would sneak in when the doors opened for someone else. There was nowhere else to go anyway. 

Not ten minutes later the man returned, this time swinging the oaken doors open and observing him at ground level. His face was drawn in suspicion. 

:Congratulations,  _ Alexander.  _ You've been granted an immediate audience." 

Alec scrambled to his feet and rushed inside behind the man. 

The castle was immaculate. White marble trimmed with gold, deep red carpets, decadent furniture. 

The other man was walking rather quickly as Alec stumbled along behind him, bare feet leaving dirty footprints all over the carpet. 

Suddenly the man stopped outside of two high, golden double doors. He turned around, eyes scanning over Alec in clear disapproval, before heaving a put upon sigh and forcing open the doors. 

"Alexander… something, your Royal Highness," the man called into the room, stumbling slightly over the lack of family name. 

Alec slowly made his way into the marble throne room, afraid of so many things. Being tackled by guards. Being turned away. Not being remembered. He kept his eyes down, head still covered. 

One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. 

He could see the steps leading to the throne now. He took a breath. 

Pulled back the hood. Raised his eyes. 

All the time he had thought about coming to Edom for help he had not fully prepared himself for seeing him again. The blinding smile, the sparkling eyes, the all encompassing ethereal beauty that was the now-king of Edom. 

"Alexander," breathed Magnus Bane. "You don't know how happy I am to see you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, the title of the story and of each chapter come from Hozier lyrics (I think it sets a mood). The title is from Arsonist's Lullaby and this chapter's is from Work Song.


	2. Sit Back and Watch the World Go By

Looking at him now, Alec didn't know how he could have been so worried. Despite nearly five years having passed since the last time they had seen each other he looked unchanged. It was like in that moment he was taken back to the first time they had met. 

A few years before he had become second in command in the Royal Military, Alec had been training at an outpost in the far south of Idris. It was the closest city to the foreign kingdom of Edom, ruled at the time by the cruel King Asmodeus. The people of Idris had had little interaction with Edom since his rise to power. 

Travel was not illegal though, and on a warm day in his nineteenth year the town near the outpost had hosted a lone visitor from Edom. 

He gave them no name and no one asked for any details. He came with great amounts of money and a gracious attitude, which was by far enough for the local townsfolk. 

It wasn't quite enough for Alec though. He and Jace had seen him in the seaside town a few times when they were done with training for the day. There was something about the man, who dressed in nondescript yet clearly elegant clothing, that made Alec suspicious. 

One night when Jace had had too much to drink Alec sent him home with some of their fellow soldiers, promising to return later. He stayed in the local tavern and watched the Edomite chat up a few of the men and women around him, his suspicion growing every minute. Finally the foreigner decided to leave and Alec could do nothing but follow him. 

The man strolled through the sleepy town, past the inn he had been staying in and towards the ocean. Alec kept pace with him from a distance. 

As the stepped out onto the beach the man disappeared over a sand dune. Alec hurried to catch up with him. To his surprise as he rounded the sand, he was met with no one. 

And then a knife was at his throat. 

"Did my father send you to find me?" came a low voice in his ear. Alec swallowed heavily as he cursed himself for getting caught like this. 

"No, I swear. I don't know what you're talking about," he whispered into the dark. For a moment the knife didn't move and there was no sound behind Alec despite the man having to be very close to him. Impressive. 

The knife was gone and Alec was quickly pushed to turn around. 

The moon was high and bright that night, allowing Alec to see the man's face better than he had yet under the hood he tended to keep on, which had blown off during the brisk walk to the beach. 

Alec had never seen anyone like this man in his entire life. 

His skin was darker than Alec's though the color was hard to make out in the moonlight. His hair was short on the sides and thicker down the center of his head, light waves keeping it from flopping into his face. In his ears were golden hoops and a tiny golden stud winked at Alec from his nose. 

And his eyes… Alec knew logically that the people of Edom had unique marks on them, bestowed by some ancient force, but he had never seen one of these marks before. The man's eyes were positively glowing in the moonlight, a mix of green and gold with small slits for pupils like a cat's. 

They were fantastic. 

"Alicante solder… so you know who I am and are trying to kill me?" the man snapped as he took in the uniform Alec wore, the knife still pointed his way and glinting in the moonlight. Alec raised his hands in defense and shook his head. 

"No, no! I have no idea who you are. That's uh, actually why I was following you. Just… curious," he finished with a wince. 

After a few moments of silence the knife was finally lowered. A smirk appeared on the man's lips. 

"Curious? I can handle curious," he purred. Alec swallowed heavily. 

"Um, yeah. Sorry about the following you thing," he mumbled as he rubbed at the back of his neck. The man waved it off and replaced the knife in his belt. 

"Sorry for the knife. Better to be safe than sorry here and all that," he drawled. He looked Alec over from head to toe. 

"What's a handsome soldier like you doing out all alone on a night like this? There were plenty of pretty ladies and gents in that tavern back there."

"Oh, you were much more interesting than them," Alec huffed. He slapped a hand over his mouth as soon as the words were out, his face on fire. "That came out wrong, oh shi-"

But the man was laughing. His arms were wrapped around his stomach now and he seemed incapable of standing up with the amount of mirth shaking through his body. He carefully sat down in the sand and started to wipe the tears from his eyes. 

"My goodness, you're an awkward one aren't you?" he giggled, crossing his legs and looking up at Alec. Alec tried to avoid his eyes but they were magnetic. 

"What's your name, pretty boy?" he asked. Alec sighed and lets his hands drop. 

"Alec," he muttered. The man hummed. 

"Short for Alexander? What a beautiful name."

Alec looked at him in a state of shock. Relationships with men were not illegal in Alicante, but discretion was the reigning ideal across the whole kingdom. This man though was clearly and quite blatantly flirting with him, right out in the open, completely honestly. 

"... Thanks?" he replied. "What, uh, what about you, your name?" 

"That, darling, is a secret. I came to this sleepy little town to get away from my name and I'm afraid I won't be able to be here much longer as it is. You understand," he finished solemnly. 

Alec frowned and sat down in the sand across from him. 

"Scared of your father?" he boldly asked. 

"Ha, probably less than I should be. More like… scared of becoming my father," the man answered vaguely. He pulled his knees up to his chin and rested it on them. 

"What do you know about Edom?" he inquired suddenly. Alec's eyebrows shot up. 

"Um. The people there have a pretty old religion. They all have marks, like your uh, eyes." The man blinked in surprise and sat up straight. Suddenly the gorgeous eyes were gone, replaced with natural, yet still someone wonderful, brown eyes. 

"My apologies. I didn't realize you could see them. I usually cover them up, they make your kind so uncomfortable," the other man explained sheepishly. Alec cocked his head in confusion. 

"Really? I think they're beaut… really cool," he trailed off. His face was on fire again. 

A gentle expression appeared on the man's face. "Well. Thank you." Silence. "What do you know about the royal family?"

Alec bit his lip and tried to think. "The king is Asmodeus. He's… difficult," Alec finished carefully. 

The man barked a laugh and ran a hand through his hair. 

"Difficult. He's a tyrant, a dictator. The whole damn kingdom will be better off when he's dead and shoved out to sea on a burning pyre," he spat. 

Alec sucked on his teeth for a moment and said nothing. After a few moments the man continued. 

"Anything else?" 

"Mmm, not really? His wife died a long time ago, and there were rumors she uh, took her own life. I know they had a son but I don't know anything about him. Fingers crossed his better than his old man." 

The man nodded slowly, drawing his knees back up to his chin. "Yes. Fingers crossed indeed." Silence. 

"I guess I should be heading back now," Alec eventually said as he stood. Oddly he didn't really want to go back. He was enjoying this mystery man. 

"Ah yes. You have to be ready to fight the good fight and all," the man sighed. He looked up at Alec with a sad smile. "There's a war coming, Alexander. Best be ready for it."

Now Alec was looking into those same eyes he saw all those years ago on the most southern tip of Alicante. He wasn't a war hero yet. He wasn't second in command of the army. He wasn't a king. 

He was nineteen years old, a soldier in training, and laying eyes on the man he would love for the rest of his life for the first time. 

Because in the few weeks that Alec continued to return to the town, continued to follow Magnus around like a lost puppy, continued to let him flirt and laugh and never reveal a thing about himself, that's what Magnus had become. Alec's first and only love. 

"Magnus," he breathed. A smile broke out on his face. It felt so good to say his name again. 

"Your Majesty?" Alec spun at the sudden sound. The man that had brought him in was standing at the back of the room, looking confused. 

Magnus finally looked away from Alec and towards the other man. 

"Thank you, Ragnor. Could you possibly cancel everything else I have to do today? I'm afraid this is going to need all of my attention."

The man rolled his eyes and gave an exaggerated bow. 

"Oh, of course sir. I'll just tell everyone you've promised to meet with today to bugger off then?" Magnus smiled brightly. "Wonderful, glad you're on the same page!" he cheered. The other man rolled his eyes again and swept out of the room, closing the doors behind him. 

The moment they were alone Magnus was on his feet and in Alec's arms. 

"They told me you were dead," he muttered into Alec's neck. "For four days, I've had to live in a world where you were dead." 

Alec wrapped his arms tight around Magnus back, one hand coming up to rest on his neck. It was like coming home. 

"I'm alright. I'm here," he whispered. They remained like that for a few moments, or maybe hours. 

Finally, Magnus reluctantly pulled back. Alec's heart leapt at the slight redness to his eyes and the remains of tears on his cheek. 

"Tell me everything," Magnus said as he gripped Alec's arms and led him to one of the benches on the side of the room. 

Alec sat down with him and let everything out. He told him about Imogen's death, the few terrifying weeks between then and his own coronation. His mother's death, his own fear of being killed, his panic to come up with a way to avoid it at any cost. 

When he got to his plan to escape Alicante, Magnus grimaced.

"Oh Alexander, that was so risky." 

Alec shrugged and looked away. 

"Didn't have much of a choice. It was the only thing I could think of that even had a chance of working. I was really banking on Sebastian wanting power enough to give me some time to get away until…" 

He wasn't ready to remind Magnus of his promise quite yet. There was still time. 

"Alexander," Magnus sighed, "I'm so sorry. About everything. I know you looked up to your mother. That was no way to say goodbye." 

Alec nodded slowly. "Thank you. I uh, don't mean to impose on anything here though, so if I can just lay low here for a little while-"

"Don't be ridiculous, of course you can stay," Magnus scoffed with a smile and a gentle pat on the knee. He then stood up and offered an arm. "And if you are going to stay I must insist on giving you the grand tour of the castle myself." Alec inclined his head with a smile and stood next to him, looping his arm through Magnus'. They began to walk. 

For a time they walked in silence, lost in their own thoughts. The castle was truly magnificent, with high vaulted ceilings and priceless decor. Still, Alec struggled to keep his eyes on anything but Magnus. 

"You're staring, Alexander," Magnus teased after awhile. Alec worked hard to control his blush and took a leap. 

"My attention is usually drawn to the most beautiful thing in the room," he reasoned. 

Magnus raised an eyebrow. "Goodness, what happened to my Alicante soldier who couldn't take a compliment without stuttering?" he laughed with a blush tinging his cheeks. 

"He met you," Alec sighed as he gave the arm he was holding onto a squeeze. 

* * *

Alec returned to the beach almost every night to see the man from Edom. For the most part he seemed to enjoy the silence of the ocean at night. He seemed to enjoy Alec's presence even more.

One night they sat together, knees pressed against one another, leaned up against a sand dune and staring out at the waning moonlight reflecting on the water. 

"You don't know how happy I've been here with you, Alexander," the man sighed. He looked wistful as he stared out towards his homeland. 

"I've been happy too," Alec responded with a frown. And it was terribly true. Jace would always be his brother and best friend but Alec could tell this man anything. He was kind and understanding and sweet and so so beautiful. 

"I told Jace about you," Alec blurted out. The Edomite looked at him in surprise. "He was asking questions about where I go at night. I'm bad at lying to him."

"And what, pray tell, did you say about me?" the man teased. 

"That you were fantastic. And interesting. And the uh, most wonderful person I've ever met," Alec answered honestly. "Jace started laughing when I said I didn't know your name," he laughed. 

The man said nothing. 

"Magnus," he finally whispered into the night. "My name is Magnus." 

Alec looked over at him. He observed his companion, Magnus, silently for a moment, noting the nervousness in his eyes even as he held his gaze. 

"It suits you," he finally said. The fear seemed to fade a bit at the certainty of the statement and Magnus flashed him a shy smile. 

Silence. 

"I'll have to go back to Edom soon," he admitted. Alec swallowed around a growing lump in his throat. 

"Oh," he managed to squeak out. 

"Will you miss me terribly?" Magnus teased, bumping his shoulder. 

"Yes," Alec whispered. 

Magnus tilted his head up slightly and pressed a soft kiss to Alec's cheek. 

"I'm going to miss you too, Alexander."

Alec couldn't help himself. he turned his head and pressed his lips to Magnus'. Magnus sighed and surged up into the kiss. They stayed there together, curled up on the beach. 

"I would stay here forever if I could," Magnus whispered much later.

"Why can't you?" Alec begged. "We could run away, leave all the responsibilities behind. There are plenty of places to hide in Idris." Magnus smiled and squeezed Alec's hand. 

"Leave all the responsibilities behind, huh? You'd leave Jace behind? And Isabelle and Max? I might be from Edom but I know deserting the Royal Military is no small sin. You could never return, probably never see them again." He turned his head to stare out over the water. "And I... I do have to go back. If I don't, I'll feel like I've left my people without hope or help in sight." 

Alec huffed out a breathe and leaned back into the sand. Magnus lay down on his chest, face tucked into his neck. "This isn't fair," Alec whispered into the night sky.

"Not much in life is," Magnus mused. Alec felt a smile grow against his throat. "At least we'll always have this." 

After a few moments of silence Magnus set up suddenly, eyes blazing with determination.

"Alexander, I need you to promise me something. I know you can feel it too; the approaching doom, the buzz of war just beyond the horizon. You have to be strong, you have to win. There's no telling what will happen if Idris were to fall to the whims of Valentine Morgenstern. He made such a mess in Edom years before, the kingdom never quite recovered." 

Alec cupped Magnus' face and gently stroked his cheek. "Hey. I promise, I'll do everything I can to stop him if it comes down to a fight." Magnus nodded, his face still worried. 

"If you ever need anything, just come find me in Edom. I would move heaven and earth to help you," Magnus whispered, before leaning down for another kiss. 

* * *

"I don't think I ever apologized for keeping my identity a secret," Magnus said, breaking Alec out of his memory. He always seemed to know where Alec's head was.

"I was a little… surprised when I heard you were being crowned king of Edom," Alec admitted. "I begged my mother to let me attend the coronation, to see you with my own two eyes, but she refused."

"Well, I wish you'd been there. The whole thing was terribly pompous and dreadfully boring, and I usually enjoy a good party. You would've made everything so much more entertaining," Magnus groaned. 

"Were you scared?" Alec questioned quietly. Magnus chewed on his lip for a moment before answering. 

"Of course. There was an awful lot of pressure for me to be a wiser, kinder, better king than my father. In the end of course he didn't set a very high bar, so this whole king business has been oddly smooth sailing for the most part." He looked up at Alec. 

"I should have written to you, explained myself," he said. Alec shook his head. 

"I know why you didn't, really. Though a letter might have eased my nerves coming here. I was afraid you may have… forgotten me," Alec replied honestly. 

"Alexander," Magnus chided, "I could never forget you. And no matter what, I will always want to see you, especially after this whole 'murdered for the crown' rumor made its way here." Alec grimaced. 

"I know, I'm so sorry about that. I'm going to have a lot of people to apologize to. If I make it that long." 

Magnus tugged Alec towards two large glass doors leading outside. 

"Such a dreadful way to become king. It's really unfair. In other circumstances I think you would make a wonderful ruler."

The gardens were gorgeous; plants hanging from terraces, fountains trickling water, archways covered in vines and roses. The scent of fresh fruit floated through the air. By now the sun was almost directly above them.

"Could you possibly get the kitchen to set up lunch out here today for myself and my guest?" Magnus softly asked a guard by the doors. The guard bowed and walked away, leaving them alone.

"Why do you say that?" Alec asked, referring to Magnus' earlier statement.

"Darling, I know a decent man when I see one. There aren't too many left. When I heard about the Mortal War and your promotion I wasn't in the least bit surprised. From the moment I met you I could tell you're destiny lay somewhere far beyond that southern tip of Idris." 

Magnus reached up with the arm not looped through Alec's and plucked a ripe fruit from one of the trees. "Apricot?" 

Alec held out his hand but Magnus chuckled and shook his head. He held the fruit up to Alec's mouth with a wink. Alec pretended to sigh and rolled his eyes, but his heart was truly fluttering. He opened his mouth and bit into the fruit. The sweet juice exploded on his tongue and dribbled down his chin. 

"What a mess," Magnus tutted as he slowly raised his now juice soaked fingers to his own lips and licked them clean. Such a tease. 

"So tell me darling," Manus continued like he hadn't just short circuited Alec's brain, "what plan do you have up your sleeve now? I know you didn't stage a murder just to run off and live your days with me, no matter how wonderful I am."

They had come up on an ornate wrought iron table set with trays of fruit and pastries, plates and glasses set for two. 

Alec sighed as he sat heavily in one of the chairs. HIs feet were still bare and aching from the travelling and his stomach was howling for food. 

"Magnus, I… I need your help. I wouldn't have come if I had any choice that would keep you as far from danger as possible but Sebastian… he's unstoppable. His followers are like ghosts, not a single member of the Royal Military has managed to capture one alive. I don't know what we are going to do if he continues his reign of terror."

Magnus steepled his fingers and leaned back in his chair. "I agree. From what I've heard he's a menace to society and his sitting on the throne of Alicante can't be good for Edom. There's no reason to think he would stop at Idris' border." 

He appraised Alec for a moment and groaned. "What would you have me do, Alexander? If it were up to me I would run headfirst into battle at your side but declaring war? I've only been king for three years. Imogen Herondale wasn't particularly kind in her dealings with Edom, the people will not support a preemptive war."

"And rightly so," Alec swallowed. "Imogen was unduly harsh, blaming Edom for Asmodeus' decisions. Sebastian is a false king, but I would be willing to stand before your people and promise change once I am restored to the throne." 

Magnus sat and observed Alec in silence. In that moment Alec saw not his friend and lover from the beach, but the king Magnus had become. 

"I know I promised that if you ever needed my help you would have it. I can offer you shelter and anonymity for now," Magnus finally declared. 

Alec closed his eyes and sighed. He knew it was a tall order but he had hoped. 

"And," Magnus continued with a raised finger, "I promise to stand by you as you try to convince my advisors to send help to Idris. I can't promise to send an army but help you in some way I swear I will."

Alec leapt from his chair and wrapped his arms around Magnus, almost sitting in his lap. 

"Thank you," he breathed. Magnus' arms settled on his back and pressed him close. 

"For you Alexander, I'll always be here to help." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Chapter title from Hozier's Jackie and Wilson


	3. Something So Magic About You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This week: Diplomatic discussions and plot development. Join me next week for the mission impossible portion of the story.

Sitting on an ornate chair in the throne room of Edom a little to the right of Magnus the following day, Alec felt the nerves of being king for the first time. 

His fear during his coronation had not really stemmed from any anxiety of ruling, but from the looming possibility of his impending murder and what he was going to do about it. He had never had to make a decision on behalf of Idris, and frankly he didn't feel he was ready. 

Now he was dressed in elegant clothes gifted to him by Magnus in order to look the part of the king he needed to be. The blue velvet tunic clung to his chest and his black pants were just on the right side of tight as Magnus delighted in telling him. Both were embroidered with silver. All he was missing was the crown. 

Gathered in the room with Alec and Magnus were the nobleman Ragnor from before, a woman named Dot who was on the council as a merchant representative, the woman Alec had run into on his way to the palace (Catarina was the Royal Nurse and her ward Madzie was currently the crown princess. Who knew?) and a man with a perpetual scowl on his face named Lorenzo. 

Alec was currently trying to convince the room, as representatives of the people, to support him as the rightful king of Idris in his taking back of the kingdom. 

It wasn't going great. 

"No, no, no," Lorenzo was saying as Alec zoned back in. "We cannot allow this man to convince our king to start a war. Idris is not our problem."

"Maybe not," Catarina interrupted, sending a quick wink Alec's way, "but it sure will be if Sebastian decides to go on the warpath with Alicante's military behind him."

"Which we aren't positive he will do," Ragnor countered softly. He clearly wanted to stand by Magnus but war was a difficult thing for the head of the military to justify. 

Alec spoke up. "I don't think it will take a war, or soldiers on the ground-" 

Lorenzo cut him off, crying, "He's not even the king! He left the crown, ran away like a coward-" 

"Enough," Magnus snapped. He had warned Alec that Lorenzo would be the hardest, if not impossible, sell. He was legally the head Royal Aide, but he power hungry and wanted nothing more than to undermine Magnus at every step. 

"Lorenzo, I understand your hesitation. I would be worried if you were in favor of running headlong into war," he said through gritted teeth and a forced smile. "However, Idris is an essential ally if the right person is on the throne and Sebastian Morgenstern is not that person. They are under attack from within and the rightful king sits before us with a request for our assistance and you have not even let him explain what he wants of us. Now I am doing you all a service by including you in this conversation because I value your advice. You are representing our people and I will listened to fully informed opinions and take every point into consideration before taking action. But you will respect our guest while you are speaking." 

A true king indeed. 

The room was silent. Magnus made eye contact with Alec and nodded once. They had spoken long into the night and crafted a plan that left war out of the equation and would be the most viable and economic for Edom. 

Alec swallowed heavily and cleared his throat. 

"Sebastian is the son and first general of Valentine Morgenstern, the former mad king that was at the heart of the Mortal War. He is considered a war criminal in Idris and thus punishable by law. He currently sits on a throne he has no claim to beyond the physical crown. Since I was crowned and am still alive even without the crown I am still king under our laws, and anything I promise to Edom on behalf of my people I swear to uphold once I am back on my throne. I will... handle any possible backlash from the council in Alicante." 

"And what exactly are you proposing we do for you?" Lorenzo snarled.

"I understand the desire to avoid war. I don't want the Royal Military mobilized to fight a war under the orders of a false king, and not against our allies. I don't want one more life lost because of Morgenstern if it can be avoided." 

Alec leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. 

"I request only a small team of magic users to take the head off of the snake. I can get us into the castle but the people who protect Sebastian are… less than human. Normal weapons do little to deter them, though they are not impossible to kill. I cannot take them out alone and get to Sebastian. With help we could end him without starting a widespread fight that would call the military to his side." 

The gathered nobles considered the proposal. 

"I… suppose that could be acceptable," Dot mused. "If Sebastian is not the rightful king then Edom is allied to Alexander. We have a reason to to assist in the restoration of the rightful king to the throne."

"And how do we know he will hold up his end of any bargains we make here?" Lorenzo argued. 

" _ He  _ is still right here," Alec growled. His patience with this man was wearing thin. "All you have is my word sworn on the crown of Idris. If you help us now I can ensure our two kingdoms will be sworn allies for years to come. The strained relationships of the days when Imogen was queen are over. We can have an emissary brought to Alicante as soon as I-" 

"No, you will make you promises clear and explicit here today, and you will assume all responsibility for them," Lorenzo ordered. 

"Lorenzo," Magnus warned lowly. Alec raised a hand to stay the coming admonishment. 

"No," Alec said slowly, "I think that is fair. It would be unwise for you to risk even a few lives on vague promises." Alec considered Lorenzo, biting his lip. "I will hash out some sort of deal here and now on behalf of my people and I swear to uphold any promises."

Lorenzo pursed his lips but seemed unable to complain. 

"Now that that is settled, let's get down to business," Magnus grinned. He looked over at Alec, his beautiful eyes serious. 

"As you mentioned Idris and Edom have had a… strained alliance in the past. Since Asmodeus' death I have worked to improve it but Imogen had deep seeded prejudices that were hard to overcome on a legislative front. Trade has increased but travel for our people is severely limited. Long term visitation permits are challenging to get and citizenship is an arduous process. I would request improved processes for both; I'm not comfortable with Idris taking advantage of our good and not take our people." 

Alec nodded. It was a smart thing to request. There was prejudice deep in the fabric of Idris but if Edom were hailed as the heroes of Sebastian's downfall the backlash against increased immigration would be handleable. 

"It would take some legislation that I cannot write here and now but I can promise it will be done," he responded with a smile. 

"May I inquire about the tariffs currently placed on the exports we send to your kingdom? It costs more to purchase goods made in Edom there than any of your other trade partners," Dot questioned. Alec raised an eyebrow. 

"The tariffs in place are hypothetically to entice local workers to invest in their industries instead of always outsourcing. I am not entirely sure of the cost difference in goods made here or elsewhere, but I believe what you are saying. I can promise to make any tariffs we choose to keep in place fair and balanced with our allies, Edom included, instead of using them as some sort of punishment." 

"Vague," Lorenzo huffed. "Fair means nothing without figures attached." 

"Lorenzo, it is unreasonable to believe this one man, miles from home, could make such specific promises," Ragnor scolded. He turned his attention to Magnus. "My advice, your majesty, would be to assist King Alexander in this small scaled mission under the provision that any extremely technical legislative measures be handled at the first possible moment." 

He looked at Alec. 

"I think what he has promised here today is an acceptable deal, so long as he understands any broken deals will be handled… accordingly," he finished with a smirk. Alec fought down a smile as he inclined his head in respect. 

"Thank you very much, Mr. Fell," Magnus said. He looked over at his other advisors. 

"I like him," Cat said with a shrug. "I think we can believe him. Who are we do deny help to someone in need. Having the king of Idris make promises like this in front of so many witnesses is no small deal itself."

"I agree," Dot added. "I think he will be better to us than Sebastian will." 

Lorenzo rolled his eyes and sat down in his chair with his arms crossed but did not object.

Magnus clasped his hands together, a smile on his face.    
"Excellent. I will meet with Ragnor and Alexander to hash out the logistics and will let all of you know before any final decisions are made. Thank you, and you are dismissed," he said with a flourish. 

The nobles all gracefully bowed out of the room, even Lorenzo, leaving Alec and Magnus alone. Magnus collapsed back into his throne with a sigh. 

"Every single time a decision needs to be made it looks like that," he moaned. "Everyone is supportive to some degree and Lorenzo throws a fit anyway. It's exhausting and frustrating and if there was anything I could do about it I would." 

Alec cocked his head to the side with a frown. "Can't you just, I don't know… fire him?" he asked. Magnus huffed out a sarcastic laugh. 

"Legally, yes. Unfortunately firing someone because you don't agree with them is generally frowned upon. I don't need him out of my sight and angry if I can have him close by and angry. Keep your friend close and all that." 

Alec stood from his seat and stretched. He sent Magnus a wry smile as he ogled his ass. 

"You don't know how much this means to me," Alec admitted quietly as he walked to stand in front of Magnus. The king reached up and grabbed Alec's hips, pulling him closer and placing a kiss on his wrist. "Standing up for me like you did, it was more than I have the right to ask for." 

"Alexander," Magnus admonished, "stop saying things like that. This is as much for Edom as it is for you. Though I can admit that were you not involved I might have been a slightly harder sell," he finished with a wink. Alec rolled his eyes but couldn't keep the smile from his face. 

"Come on, we should eat dinner before Ragnor insists we sit down and start planning. He's a perfectionist, we'll probably be at it all night," Magnus groaned as he stood, his fingers intertwining with Alec's. 

"Good," Alec said. "This has to be perfect. I can't waste any of your people, or ask you to, without the highest probability of success. I'd rather spend hours on every detail than leave a moment to chance." 

Magnus squeezed his hand and heaved a sigh. "Don't worry, love. With Ragnor, you'll get your detail."  __

* * *

 

Magnus had not been joking when he said it would take hours. 

The two had enjoyed dinner in the privacy of Magnus' rooms. Ragnor had walked in on them a fews hours later, much to Alec's horror and Magnus' annoyance. For the first half hour of their discussion Alec's face had been on fire. 

That had been more than five hours ago, more than enough time for Alec to overcome his embarrassment. Ragnor was an excellent strategist, rivaling Jace's skill. If it wouldn't mean taking him from Magnus Alec would consider offering him a job in Alicante. 

"But once you are inside do you really think just Dot and myself will be enough to take his guards out?" Ragnor was asking. "You say he won't use the military because they have strained loyalty to an usurper but what if he does and your numbers are off?" 

Alec rubbed at his eyes. "I cannot know anything for certain, can I? I'm here and I was never there while he was king. I can only tell you what I know of him from the war and he had a pattern. He would be surrounded by four guards entirely loyal to him with inhuman abilities. I see no reason he would trade them in for the royal guard." 

Ragnor stared down at the map rolled out onto the table in front of them. It was a detailed sketch of the palace at Alicante, including the grounds. The Edom library had had a simple version that Alec had drawn on, filling in necessary parts that would be vital for their plan. 

So far it looked like this; Alec would take Dot and Ragnor, both trained magic users, back to Idris through the same southern town where Magnus and Alec first met. It was farther from Alicante than where Alec met, but it would also be significantly less fortified and on edge. 

From there they would make their way to the capital and sneak into the palace based on Alec's memory of the layout. They would have to observe to figure out schedules of the guards and inhabitants. 

Anyone connected to Sebastian directly, like his personal guard, were to be disposed of. As few lives of the Royal guard were to be taken as possible. Alec was hoping that they wouldn't put up too much of a fight even if called upon. 

Now they were stuck on the problem of numbers. Alec did not have access to any way of finding out how many people Sebastian had decided to surround himself with. During the war if had been four; he was really hoping it wouldn't be many more than that. Even with magic Sebastian's personal guard would be hell to take down. 

"I think the two of you have left out an important detail," Magnus drawled. He was stretched out on an ottoman at the end of the room, a book resting on his face as his arms were crossed over his chest. Alec had assumed he had fallen asleep. 

"And what is that, your majesty?" Ragnor bit out. Alec held in a chuckle at the man's sass towards his sovereign.  

Magnus sat up and placed the book to the side. He was lit by the fireplace behind him, giving him an ethereal glow. Alec would never get over how breaktaking he was. 

"You keep saying 'oh, three of us against how many?', or 'two warlocks against what number?' I suppose I'm wondering where you got those numbers from," he asked. 

Ragnor frowned and leaned on the table. "Dot and myself. The fewer people that go, the better chances we have of getting in and out without being seen. Dot and I are the best warlocks besides Cat who you know doesn't fight, so it has to-" 

"You and Dot are the best?" Magnus said with a smirk. "I think you might be leaving someone out of that consideration." 

"And who might that be?" Ragnor snapped. 

Alec was way ahead of him. "You're not coming with us, Magnus," he deadpanned. 

Ragnor's head shot over to look at him, then at Magnus. He saw in Magnus' eyes then that that was exactly what he meant. 

"Why not, Alexander?" Magnus huffed. "I am arguably the most powerful warlock in Edom magic wise. I don't see how you can send in 'the best' and not include me in the equation."

"Because you're the bloody king!" Ragnor yelled. He threw his arms into the air. "You can't just throw yourself into the front lines anymore, Magnus. You have a kingdom to rule and a throne to protect. What would happen if something happened to you?" 

Magnus waved him off. "Cat would become the interim ruled until Madzie was of age. That's why we have a chain of succession, old friend," he remarked. "Besides, Alec is also a king, whose kingdom needs him, and you are letting him go."

Ragnor looked ready to explode. "That is so not the same thi-" 

"No," Alec said with a shake of his head. "It is too dangerous and too much to ask of you." He walked up to Magnus and cupped his face in his hands.  "I won't be able to do this if I don't know you are safe," he whispered. Magnus grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently. 

"And I can't let you do this unless you are as safe as I can make you. The only way I can do that is if I'm with you," he replied steadily. He looked over Alec's shoulder at Ragnor, head held high.  "You won't be changing my mind on this one. I'm coming whether you work me into the plan or not and you know how problematic I can be even when I know the plan. Imagine me without one." 

Ragnor scowled but plopped back down into his chair. 

"You're not really going to let him, are you?" Alec cried incredulously. Ragnor thumped his head down onto the table. 

"I don't 'let' him do anything. He's the king, he can pretty much do whatever he wants. Unfortunately."

"Lorenzo will never have it," Alec begged as he turned his attention back to Magnus. 

He shrugged. "I don't really care. I swear Alexander, I will be as careful as possible. We can do this. Together," he finished with a kiss to his cheek. 

Alec released a soft breath, then met Magnus' earnest gaze. 

"Fine," he finally said, "but I don't have to like it." Magnus beamed and leaned up to kiss him properly. 

"Can we get back to work please? We have to work his Royal Pain into the whole damn plan now," Ragnor groaned. 

Alec returned to his seat with a heavy heart, but with Magnus now seated next to him. 

A few hours later Ragnor sent them off to bed, saying they had as much of a plan as possible given the circumstances. They walked together through the halls of the castle, hand in hand, in silence. 

Finally Alec broke the moment as they approached Magnus' suite. 

"Why are you doing this?" he questioned quietly. Magnus stopped walking and tugged him in front of him, staring directly into his eyes. 

"Doing what, love?" he asked. Alec tried to avoid his gaze, but Magnus wouldn't let him. 

"All of this. Everything. I know you said it is beneficial for Edom, but you coming with us is literally the opposite of good for the kingd-" 

Magnus surged up and cut him off with a kiss. They lingered in the hall for a moment, connected at the lips and unaware of their surroundings. 

Eventually he pulled back with a hum. His eyes flew open and his slightly swollen lips ticked up in a soft smile as he stared up at Alec. 

"That's the best way I can explain it, Alexander. I can only hope you understand," he whispered into the space between them. Then he walked into his room, leaving his door open to say Alec could follow while simultaneously giving him a moment. 

They couldn't be together. Alec knew this logically. They were the rulers of two kingdoms, neither one in a position to give it up even if they wanted to. Alec could never ask that of Magnus and he knew Magnus would never ask it of him. 

So this… whatever they were doing. It had a timer attached to it, and the clock was ticking. After the crown was back in Alec's hands he would likely see Magnus a few more times over the course of their entire lives. 

And yet Alec couldn't stop himself from falling. He wasn't sure he even wanted to. 

He followed Magnus into his room and carefully closed the door behind him. 

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from From Eden by Hozier


	4. Wonder if Better Now Having Survived

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And as per usual I got carried away and if I wanted to fit in everything I wanted this chapter would have been much too long. Hope you like it, drop by with an comments!

"Did you ever think we were gonna end up back here?"

Alec barked out a laugh at Magnus' question. 

"No, actually. When you sailed away I wasn't even sure I'd ever see you again, let alone here." 

They were standing on the beach facing the water, far down from where the majority of townsfolk ever wandered. It was the same stretch of beach Alec had followed Magnus to all those years ago. It looked the same, moonlight glinting off the water and casting their shadows along the white sand. 

Ragnor was further down the beach closer to the town, acting as a lookout while Dot ventured into the town to gather clothes and a few supplies. It had been insisted that both Alec and Magnus be kept as far from interaction with the locals as possible, meaning they were left alone. 

"Well I'm glad to be back. Though I wish it was under… better circumstances," Magnus admitted. He was leaned up against Alec with his head resting on his shoulder, eyes turned towards the sea. 

Alec couldn't take his eyes off of Magnus' profile. He pressed a kiss to his temple and leaned down into his ear. 

"I'm glad too," he whispered. Magnus shivered and turned his head up to press their lips together. 

"Even in life or death situations, you two can't keep it in your pants for ten minutes," Ragnor's dry voice came from behind them. 

Magnus rolled his eyes as he pulled back and looked over at Ragnor. 

"You have impeccable timing, my friend. And by impeccable I mean inconvenient and problematic." 

Ragnor sat down on the sand with a heavy sigh. "You should be thanking me. Dot is on her way back and she would never have let you live it down. At least all I want is to forget," he grumbled. 

Sure enough, Dot appeared above a sand dune with a bundle in her hands. She dropped everything at their feet and sat with them. 

Magnus picked up a shirt with a scowl. 

"This is the ugliest thing I've ever seen, Dorothea. Why would you do this to me?" he whined.

Alec was dressed in the clothes he had escaped in again, which Magnus had complained about as soon as he saw them. He grabbed a pair of boots from the pile and pulled them on, the only thing he was still missing being sturdy shoes. 

Dot pursed her lips. "Oh shut up, you. We are supposed to be flying under the radar and this is as under the radar as I could find," she said. 

Seeing Magnus dressed in clothing from Idris was pretty funny. They were so drab and heavy compared to what he wore is Edom. Still he managed to make it look better than anyone Alec had ever seen. 

"Get some shut eye, gentlemen. We move out at dawn tomorrow morning, should get to Alicante by nightfall in about two days," Ragnor said. "I'll take first watch." 

Dot went back into town to spend the night in order to avoid suspicion. Ragnor perched himself up the beach, blending into the sand effortlessly. 

Magnus and Alec hunkered down into one of the dunes. Magnus layed down, his clothes from Edom underneath him keeping him from lying directly in the sand. He pat his chest with a soft smile. 

Alec grinned and cuddled up next to him with his head resting so that he could hear Magnus' heartbeat. 

They stayed silent for a moment, but Alec couldn't sleep. 

"This is gonna work, right?" he whispered into Alec's neck. He felt the man beneath him release a shuddering breath. 

"Love, we are the definition of a power couple. If we can't do it no one can," came the reply. 

Alec ignored the lack of actual response to his question and propped his chin on Magnus' chest. 

"Couple? Why Mr. Bane, I'm blushing," he teased. 

Magnus looked down at him as an actual blush moved onto his cheeks. 

"Uh," he stuttered. Alec chuckled and surged up to kiss him. 

"Go to sleep, love," he said before settling back against Magnus, who reached around him and held him tightly against him. "We'll talk about it when this is all over, ok?" 

Magnus nodded. "That works for me." 

A few hours later Alec was shaken awake from his rest. He reached out and grabbed the arm shaking him awake, making to break the hand. 

"Easy there, tiger," Ragnor's voice rang in his ears, "Just waking you up for your shift."

Alec heaved a sigh and sat up slowly. He was careful not to wake up Magnus, who was sleeping peacefully beneath him. 

"Sorry," he mumbled. "Just on edge." 

Ragnor shook it off as he settled into the sand. "Understandably so. I would be… concerned if you were not, especially considering your current company." 

Alec smiled shyly as his eyes flitted to Magnus. His mouth was open in sleep and all of the stress lines on his forehead were smoothed. Alec reached out and ran a gentle hand through his hair.    
"You make a good point," he said. 

"He told me about you," Ragnor remarked. Alec looked over at him in surprise. "Not your name or who you were. Just about the boy from Idris he met when he… was away. He was heartbroken to leave you behind."

Alec winced and stood up, cracking his back. "I uh, I didn't know. It was hard for me too. I thought about him all the time. Jace, that's my brother, made fun of me for months." He rubbed the back of his neck.

"Then the war came and I had to refocus, but every once and awhile I wanted so badly to speak to him, to hear his voice... " 

He trailed off and swallowed heavily. 

Ragnor nodded slowly. "He seems to have that effect on people. He's been a good king." He looked up at Alec with a stare he couldn't quite place. "Just be careful. You two are good for each other, but you both have such responsibilities. It isn't gonna be easy." 

Alec kept his eyes on the water for a moment before turning to walk up the beach for his watch. 

"Trust me Mr. Fell," he sighed, "I know." 

* * *

They left the beach as soon as the sun rose. Flipping their hoods up they started off into the woods. They avoided the main roads, following Alec through the tree and ducking every time they heard a noise. They didn't speak to one another any more than necessary.

When night fell they pitched camp and settled in. Alec was disappointed they couldn't start a fire. It was a lot colder as they moved north. 

It helped to have Magnus curled up in his arms. Despite the danger he knew he was putting him in, Alec was secretly thrilled he had insisted upon coming. Had he been alone, with only Ragnor and Dot to keep him company, he would have been overthinking and panicking about the upcoming mission. 

With Magnus, he knew he had to be focused and get him out safe. He needed to defeat Sebastian, but if he lost Magnus in the fight it would feel like losing the kingdom all over again.

As the end of the second day drew nearer a sense of dread settled on the group. Alec began to recognize the woods around them from his last trip through them as he ran for his life. No one could see the palace yet, but they all knew they were close. 

Alec had mentioned the town he had stopped in on his way to the docks and had taken the group around to come at the castle from another direction so as to avoid being spotted by Maia or Raphael. 

Just as the began to set Alec spotted the tips of the spires. He held up a hand to signal the rest of them to stop and pointed ahead. 

"And there it is," Ragnor mused. "Our final destination." 

Alec had known what they were going to do would be dangerous, possibly leaving at least one of them dead. It wasn't until that moment that the reality truly sunk in. 

They settled down in a clearing for a few hours to let the darkness move all the way in. Dot and Ragnor were going to scout out the movement of the guards for the next two nights to establish their schedules, and they would make their move the night after. 

Alec and Magnus were mostly silent as their companions hurried off to take their places at the edge of the forest nearest to the castle. It seemed Magnus too was hit with the gravity of the situation. He was an incredible warlock, yes, but in such a volatile and unpredictable situation it was impossible to be entirely confidant no matter how powerful one was. 

A few hours past in silence, until suddenly a noise came from just to the left of them, like the sound of snapping twigs and heavy feet. Alec instinctively grabbed Magnus and yanked him towards a tree, pushing him up and quickly following. Both terrified to the bone, they moved silently and settled far enough up that they would not be seen by anyone not looking for them. 

Hopefully it would be enough. 

"Keep moving, flea bag," a voice growled into the dark. Alec felt a chill run down his spine. It was the voice of one of Sebastian's Forsaken, the personal guards he had defiled with blood magic to turn more creature than human. 

Two Forsaken guards appeared in the clearing Alec and Magnus had just fled. They were pushing along a young man with a defiant look on his face. He was dressed in what might have been fine clothing at one point but was now ripped and dirty. To his horror, Alec recognized him. 

Jordan Kyle had been a member of the Praetor Lupus, an elite fighting force from a kingdom of shape shifting lycanthropes. He had moved to Idris to escape his past and had been welcomed into the military as a contractor with open arms. 

And now he was here, hands chained behind his back, his face a mess of blood and bruises. 

Magnus looked over at him, a deep sadness in his eyes. They both knew what was about to happen and they both knew they could do nothing to stop it. 

Jordan was pushed to his knees and he let out a wince as they hit the earth. One of the Forsaken guards pulled the chain tighter while the other walked around to stand in front of the kneeling warrior, whose eyes were staring straight ahead. 

"Any last words, heathen?" the second guard snarled as he pulled out a blade and placed it against the skin of Jordan's neck. 

For a moment it looked like he would say nothing in return. He turned his eyes upward as if looking to the heavens or for a moment of peace. 

And he spotted Alec. 

Alec's heart stopped as he made eye contact with Jordan. They had met a handful of times and he would not consider them friends, but there was no way he did not recognize the man who had been king. 

Magnus and Alec both knew that they could not run the risk of being found out. Before they had left Alec had told the group that when a Forsaken was killed, Sebastian could feel it. In order for them to make it into the palace and have the best chance of success they could not kill any of them until they were ready for the fight. 

Jordan didn't even blink when their eyes met. He looked on steadily, the determination never leaving his face. In that moment Alec knew. He knew that Jordan had already figured out, in only moments, what was happening. He knew that Alec was there but could not rescue him. 

He gave Alec a small nod, one that the guards would never think was the sign of apology and forgiveness that it was. And Alec nodded back. 

"Long live the king," Jordan croaked out as he turned his eyes to the stars. The blade slowly slit across his throat, the dark blood pouring out from the wound almost blue in the midnight moonlight. 

Magnus didn't move next to Alec but the younger man could feel the agony and sorrow radiating off of him. His eyes were closed. Alec couldn't look away. 

The other Forsaken dropped the chain, letting Jordan's body slump to the ground. He was still choking and seizing, but there was nothing that could be done to save him. Still, they did not leave until it was over. Before they left they reached down and propped open his mouth. 

Alec did look away as they removed his tongue. It had been a trademark of Sebastian's men during the war, to prove to their master that the deed was done. 

Alec and Magnus stayed in the tree long after the guards had left. They had not buried Jordan's body or taken it with them. Alec wanted to get down and bury him, but he knew they could leave no trace they had been there. 

They would have to spend the night in the clearing with the reminder of what had just happened. 

Eventually he looked over at Magnus to gauge if he was ok to get down. There were clear tear tracks running through the layer of dirt that had gathered on his cheeks over the last few days. His eyes were tired and sad, but he didn't look on the verge of panic. 

"Come on," Alec whispered as he reached out to take Magnus' hand. "We need to get down." 

Magnus weakly squeezed at his hand and nodded shortly, methodically beginning his descent. 

When they reached the bottom Alec went directly to Jordan. He stood next to him, carefully avoiding the pool of blood that was not yet done drying.

"We should have done something," Magnus whispered. He was still standing at the base of the tree, his eyes focused on the body. 

"You know we couldn't," Alec responded blankly. He heard Magnus release a shaky breath and steadily move towards him until he was standing directly behind his left shoulder. 

"I know. Doesn't mean shouldn't have," he replied. 

They stood over the body in silence before Magnus spoke again. 

"He saw you," he whispered. "He knew you."

Alec nodded slowly. 

"You knew him," Magnus said.

Another nod. 

Alec looked at the bruises that littered the other man's body, the swollen wrists under the handcuffs. Jordan hadn't recently been caught; he had been locked up since Sebastian had taken over.

Only a week and he was executing good men in the woods like a coward. 

"His name was Jordan," Alec forced out through the mounting panic. "He was a, uh… a good fighter. A lycanthrope, moved here as an escape." He let out a humorless laugh. "Bet he regretted that in the end." 

"Alexander," Magnus admonished. Alec shook his head and turned away. He met Magnus' sad eyes and swallowed heavily. 

"He was loyal to the throne, Magnus. My throne. If he fought back, if he tried to resist… that's why they had him killed." He pushed past Magnus and unsteadily walked away. 

"What if he wasn't the only one? What if Jace rebelled? What if Izzy, or, or Max...What if they're…" 

Magnus' arms appeared around his waist, holding him to his chest. Alec hadn't noticed how hard he was shaking until his could feel it against his lover's body. 

"Shh, Alexander. Breathe for me," Magnus' voice sighed in his ear. Alec let out a harsh sob as he spun around to dig his face into Magnus' shoulder. 

He felt the other man rub at his back and continue whispering quiet reassurances in his ears even though he wasn't really listening. 

"I'm so scared, Magnus," Alec gasped through the tears. 

"I know, my love," came the soothing reply. "I can't promise you anything. I can't say that you're sister or brother or Jace are okay." 

He pulled Alec's head gently back to look him in the eyes. His face was sorrowful but resolute as he spoke. 

"What I can promise is that we will do everything in our power to put an end to Sebastian once and for all and to make him pay for the pain and death he has brought on your people." He pressed a kiss to Alec's forehead. "His crimes will not go unpunished, Alexander. I swear this to you." 

* * *

Ragnor and Dot pulled out their weapons as soon as the returned to the clearing just as the sun was coming up. Their faces twisted in horror and dread at the sight of the corpse still positioned in the center of the grass.

"It's okay," Magnus sighed from where he and Alec had been hiding for the rest of the night just inside the thicket of trees. He ran to his friends who immediately wrapped him in a hug. Alec followed a bit of a distance behind in order to give them space, but was pulled in by Ragnor for his own stiff embrace. 

"What the hell happened?" Dot cried, her eyes once again fixated on Jordan. 

Magnus filled the other two in on what had transpired, trying to keep his voice steady. When he got to the part about the Forsaken staying to remove his tongue Dot gagged. 

"You don't think..." she asked Ragnor. Alec raised his eyebrows at the man, whose face was drawn in concern. 

"While we were spending a few hours out by the front gate we saw two of those guards who mentioned returning quietly and swiftly, like they were trying not to be spotted. One of them was holding a bag dripping with a dark liquid but we didn't investigate further." 

Alec winced. There was really only one thing it could be. 

"Well at least you two are alright," Dot sighed. She touched Magnus' face lovingly and pat Alec firmly on the shoulder. "I'm sorry you couldn't do anything to help him."

They collectively chose to move from the clearing, moving farther from the castle to avoid any more run ins with personell. They had one more night for Dot and Ragnor to stake everything out just to verify that what they saw tonight was the norm. 

The four of them spent the day talking about anything but the upcoming mission, the recent execution, or anything else having to do with their current situation. Magnus regained some of his usual charismatic energy as he talked about what he wanted to add to the agenda for the upcoming year in Edom, while Dot talked trade with Alec and brought him up to speed on some of the current and past systems their kingdoms had been using. 

They talked like they would succeed; "when we get back" and "when we talk about this". There were no ifs, even though really it was all ifs. 

By the time Ragnor and Dot left that night Magnus and Alec wanted to do nothing but sleep. They had barely managed the night before and they needed as much energy as they could muster. Now far into the woods and away from any potential attacks they slept fitfully through the night. 

The following day they finalized and reviewed every step in the plan. Ragnor and Dot confirmed that the general routine of the guards, both Forsaken and military, had been approximately the same both nights. 

"I would love to watch for about a week just to be sure, but we just can't afford the time," Ragnor huffed. "This is hardly sound military strategy." 

Magnus reached out and gently squeezed Ragnor's shoulder. 

"No, but you're right that we don't have the time. Sebastian won't take forever to begin whatever he has in store for Idris. He's already executing innocents in the cover of night, more likely than not without a trial or proper process. We cannot afford to wait."

Dot had located a portion of the castle wall that was crumbling just enough to establish footholds all the way to the top. It was on the southern facing portion, meaning it was the opposite side from where Alec's, and thus now Sebastian's, bedroom was. 

They would have five minutes to run from the edge of the woods and make it up and over the wall before the next guard turned a corner. Five minutes was also an average, meaning it could be less or it could be more. 

They would then be in the courtyard where they would have to sneak along in the shadows until they reached the doors into the castle itself. 

"At that point as long as we keep our heads down and walk with purpose no one should really notice us," Ragnor explained. "People in the castle isn't unusual, just people sneaking into the castle is." 

"Right you are," Magnus mused. He was rubbing at his chin thoughtfully. 

"And from there we split up, yes? You and Dot, and me and Alexander. Sebastian will either be in the king's bedroom or in the throne room."

While sneaking in at close to three in the morning would imply that most people would be in bed, Sebastian was in a league of his own. He was erratic, almost never ate or slept, and had launched vicious attacks during the war with physically exhausted and, to him, expendable soldiers at his disposal. Still, Alec didn't think he would be anywhere else in the castle but those two locations. 

"And whichever of us finds him first, we put an end to him. Release the military from their duty to serve him, hopefully in time to take out the Forsaken before-" 

"Exactly," Magnus cut Ragnor off with a strained grin. "Piece of cake." 

The afternoon was spent in silence. Dot and Ragnor napped to make up for the two nights of rotated sleeping while Magnus and Alec rested together in the sun a ways away. 

Just as the sun began its daily descent from the sky, Magnus spoke up. 

"I don't mean to sound morbid darling, but if this is the last time we see the sun I'm terribly glad I got to see it with you," he admitted. They were curled up in the grass, arms tight around one another, eyes locked together. 

Alec frowned and pushed a stray lock of hair from Magnus' face. 

"This isn't going to be the last time you see the sun," he chided. 

" _ We, _ " Magnus responded quietly. "It's not the last time  _ we  _ are going to see the sun."

Alec refused to respond, instead simply holding on to the other man a little tighter. 

"Would you be upset with me if I chose right now to tell you that I love you?" Alec questioned a few moments later. He felt Magnus still in his arms, like he was holding his breath. 

"A little bit," he finally said. Alec felt himself smile against his will. 

"Alright then. I'll wait and tell you after this is over," he teased. Magnus pushed himself up onto Alec's chest and pressed their lips together in a warm kiss. 

"Then I suppose I'll wait too," he said when the parted, the glimmer of mischief that Alec loved so much back in his eyes. 

The two stayed like that, wrapped up in one another, until Ragnor approached. This time he didn't comment on their position, simply cleared his throat and spoke solemnly. 

"It's time, gentlemen. Let's go." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Title from Hozier's Angel of Small Death and the Codeine Scene


	5. Now At Last The Worst Is Over

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> One more chapter after this one, ladies and gents.

Staring at the daunting wall they were about to scale, Alec felt calmer than ever before. Yes it was the ride or die moment, and yes "die" was very much a possibility for any of them. Still, there was never going to be a better time and Ale felt as confident as he ever would. 

The four of them were lined up at the very edge of the forest, watching the guards make their rounds on the top of the wall. Five minutes did seem about right as far as Alec could tell but the slight variations were enough to make him want to move as quickly as possible. 

The most recent guard was about to turn the corner. Dot had her hand raised signalling for them to wait as they all watched with bated breath as the Forsaken faded out of sight. She brought her hand down quickly and they all bolted out from the trees. 

Alec reached the wall first, immediately gripped at the stones and began climbing. He was military trained and in good shape, but directly scaling such a wall without a rope or a harness took every ounce of his focus and self control. 

He was at the top now. Before making it over he checked both directions. No guards. He threw himself onto the walkway and rushed to climb down the other side and into the courtyard below. 

Looking down he saw that it was completely empty. Sebastian's arrogance meant he believed no one would make it this far. Fool. 

As he turned to clamber down he saw Magnus make it over, Ragnor just to his left. Dot was no doubt behind them. 

Once he reached the bottom Alec quietly released his hold on the wall and eased onto the cobblestones below. He immediately crouched down in the shadows and waited to be joined by the others. Moments later Ragnor and Magnus appeared at his side. There was no sign of Dot. 

"A guard showed up before she could make it over," Magnus breathed. His eyes were alight with adrenaline. 

"You two get going, I'll wait here for Dot," Ragnor huffed. With a nod they separated. 

Alec had been right in thinking that no one would notice them once they were inside. It didn't hurt that they were dressed like servants would be, but they still tried to stay out of anyone's direct path. 

The castle itself was a maze, one that Alec had not had the time to learn before his departure. His limited knowledge managed to get them lost in the twisting corridors, and it took them ages to get anywhere. 

Finally they found their way to the Royal Family's wing. It was much later than they had hoped, and because no alarm had been raised it seemed like they would be the ones to find Sebastian that night.

Quietly they crept down the hall, footsteps muffled by the lush carpet. There were no guards outside any of the doors. 

Just a few more steps and they would make it. They would silently enter Sebastian's room and put an end to the tyranny. 

"Don't move," a steely voice came from behind them. A cold blade pressed against Alec's throat. Both men froze, the panic clear in Magnus' eyes as Alec's met his. 

"Turn around with your hands above your head," the voice continued. Alec frowned as he turned, his head down and focused on the floor. That voice... it couldn't be… they weren't that lucky.

Alec slowly raised his eyes to look their captor in the face. A wave of relief crashed over him at what he saw. 

"... Alec?" Jace breathed in disbelief. Alec face broke into a grin as he raised his arms. 

"Hello, brother," he answered softly. 

Jace didn't move, staring at Alec like he would disappear if he blinked. He slowly lowered his sword to his side but did not put it away. 

"But you're… you…" Jace stammered. His eyes were wide and his face was pale. In any other situation Alec would have thought it was hilarious, but now he needed to finish the mission.

"I know, I promise I'll explain everything. But first, where is Sebastian?" Alec begged. 

Jace shook his head smally. "He uh, he's not here. He doesn't sleep in the king's bedroom." 

Alec felt his heart drop and heard Magnus let out a quiet curse beside him. Jace's attention turned to Magnus and his blade was raised again. 

"Who the fuck are you?" he snapped. Alec held out his hand and gently pushed the sword away. 

"Jace, listen to me. I need your help, we had a plan and… and now we have to adapt. Quickly, please," he emphasized impatiently. 

Jace looked back at him before nodding minutely. He kept his eyes on Magnus but led them down the hall to one of the many large doors, which he had to unlock to open. 

The room was one of the suites in the castle, a small sitting area with a larger bedroom space behind it. Once inside Alec collapsed on the settee, head in his hands. He felt Magnus at his side rubbing his back gently and pressing a kiss to his shoulder.  

"Alec, what the fuck?" Jace hissed as he stalked into the room behind them. "You were dead, Sebastian had you killed-"

"Clearly not," Alec snarked. He immediately winced at his tone and straightened up. "Jace, I'm so sorry. You have to understand why I had to leave. I couldn't let him kill me, I needed help and I couldn't get it while I was king of Idris." 

"So you… faked your own death? And you didn't think to tell me or Izzy? We mourned you! We submitted to a madman because you were gone, and you left the fucking crown!" Jace nearly yelled. He was still keeping his voice low but the rage in his eyes was clear enough. 

Alec didn't respond, instead waiting for his old friend to calm down. 

Jace turned on Magnus then. "And who exactly are you, bringing him back here? They will not hesitate to kill him if they find him alive, do you have any idea who he is?" 

Magnus cocked his head and looked at Alec. "You always made him sound a lot nicer when you talked about him," he mused. He turned his attention back to Jace, standing up and extending a hand. 

"Magnus Bane, King of Edom. At your service. And yes, I am perfectly aware of who Alexander is," he said. 

Jace looked at the hand between them, eyes nearly bulging out of his head. "Um," he responded. He looked over to where Alec sat. "How… what?" 

Magnus chuckled softly and forcefully took Jace's hand, giving it a firm shake. "How silly of me, Alexander must never have mentioned my name. Your brother and I spent a lovely month together a few years back while you two were in training. I may have made a foolish promise to come to his aid should he ever need me. I wasn't exactly expecting to assist in a coup, but people have done worse things for love." 

Jace had clearly figured out who Magnus was by then if the shock on his face was any indication. "You were… with the… well shit," he finished lamely. He sank into the chair opposite from Alec, his hand stroking his chin. 

"Jace, I know you are angry. I know I have a lot to make up to you. But please, right now I need you to listen to me. Magnus and I are here to take out Sebastian. I know you cannot help us directly, I know you are sworn to the crown, but I need to know where he is so we can finish this," Alec begged. 

Jace observed the two of them for a moment, clearly considering. He inhaled loudly and sat forward with his hands folded. 

"You and I are gonna have a long talk about trust, you hear me?" he scolded Alec with a weak smile. Alec grinned back. 

"Don't think I wouldn't stab the little bastard myself if I could get close enough, but he holed himself up in the keep. He sleeps in there, eats in there, holds his own false court in there. He surrounds himself with the Forsaken and no one else, not a single member of the military. He keeps us around for show, for now, but I know he's picking us off one by one." 

Alec nodded solemnly. "We saw Jordan in the woods a few nights ago," he murmured. Jace's head dropped and he swallowed.

"He was a damn good soldier. He didn't deserve to be put down like an animal," Jace replied. When he picked his head back up his eyes were hard. 

"He's the king as long as he wears the crown, so we couldn't assassinate him. It would have been paramount to treason, no matter how evil he is. But now that you are here, If I can get my men to distract the Forsaken, start an uprising, you might have a chance to-" 

"No," Alec snapped. "I will not have anyone risk their lives for this besides us. We cannot ask that of you." 

Jace rolled his eyes. "Always the self sacrificing one, Alec. The doors to the keep have ten Forsaken outside of them at all times, and he never. Comes. Out. You literally will not have an opportunity to get to him." 

Alec rubbed at his eyes. He could feel a headache coming on. 

"Alexander," Magnus whispered beside him. At some point he had settled on the arm of the settee and was running his hands through Alec's hair. "I know you don't like it but perhaps Jace can really help. If he's right and there is no other way… we can't just give up now." 

Alec turned to look directly in Magnus' eyes. He saw the sadness and pain that starting and actual fight would cause Magnus, but he also saw the determination to follow this thing through to the end. 

Alec turned back to Jace. "Fine. We have two other companions somewhere in the castle, they were supposed to check the throne room. We were all to meet up back out in the woods if we failed to find Sebastian. They should be there by now. If you can send someone to get them… we can talk about you and your men getting involved," Alec conceded. Jace nodded and rose from his seat. Alec rose as well. 

"Consider it done. You two stay in here, I'll have your friends brought in." Jace stared at Alec for a moment more before finally reaching out and pulling him in for a hug. 

"It is damn good to see you alive," he whimpered into Alec's ear. Alec held his brother tighter and buried his face in his neck. 

"It's good to be alive," he admitted. Jace barked out a laugh and pulled back, heartily patting Alec on the shoulder. He looked behind him at where Magnus still sat perched on the settee. 

"Thanks for looking after him for us. Angel knows we need him now," Jace said. Magnus inclined his head with a tiny smile tugging at his lips. 

"It was my pleasure," he replied. 

And then Jace was gone, hopefully to find Dot and Ragnor and get them into the castle. Their plan would have to wait, would have to be adjusted to the new information and offer of assistance they had received. 

The door clicked shut, and Alec heard the lock slide into place. He looked at Magnus with an eyebrow raised. 

"It was your pleasure, was it?" 

Magnus laughed, quietly but fully and reached out to loop his arms around Alec's neck, who lifted him to his feet. 

"Indeed, it was," he sighed, bringing their noses together in a soft nuzzle. 

"Not exactly how I thought today would go," Alec mused as he pulled them towards the large bed in the center of the room. 

"No, but it certainly was a lucky break. I don't know what we would have done if we had walked in and not found him," Magnus said. He laid down on the bed, giving a soft moan at the sudden comfort after days of sleeping on the ground. Alec chuckled as he crawled in to join him. 

"You make a good point. We could have run into much more dangerous creatures than Jace." 

"Indeed," Magnus sighed, turning over to look at Alec. They were laying down on their sides, staring at one another in the soft moonlight that shone through the windows. It was already fading into the light of dawn. 

"Sleep, darling," Magnus murmured. "Tomorrow is a new day." 

* * *

Ragnor and Dot cycled through anger, shock, distrust, and acceptance fairly quickly when they were brought into the room Magnus and Alec had taken over. Jace had found them at the rendezvous spot and apparently had a bit of difficulty convincing them he wasn't trying to lead them into a trap.

"We didn't exactly establish a code word, this was really a scenario that ever occurred to us," Ragnor grumbled from his seat on the settee. "I am sorry about the eye. And the cheek. And your knee." 

Jace had returned with a newly blackened eye, a cut on his right cheek that had only recently stopped bleeding, and a limp. He was looking at Ragnor with a mix of wariness and respect. 

Unsurprisingly they didn't love the new plan, but Magnus and Alec managed to talk them around. Once it was abundantly clear that they had no chance of getting to Sebastian without Jace's men, there really only was once answer. 

"I swear only the best and most trusted will be called upon," Jace assured them. "They'll know the risks and the reward and I will let anyone who wishes to refrain from helping." 

Alec scoffed. "They won't turn you down, Jace." 

His brother smiled. "I'm counting on it."

Around midday they heard from Jace again confirming that the plan was set and his men were ready for that night. Every one of his soldiers in his direct command had stood by him and were ready to move. 

And so they did. 

Ragnor, Dot, Magnus and Alec crept out from the room just after midnight. Jace led them to the keep before going to organize and lead his men. 

Before he left them Jace pulled Alec into one more bone crushing hug. 

"I'll see you later, ok?" he said. Alec could hear the slight tremor in his voice but chose to ignore it. 

"Of course," he replied around the lump in his throat. They pulled back and grasped hands before Jace nodded solemnly at the rest of the group, and left.

The silence was heavy. They were tucked into a corridor outside of the keep, the entrance to which was deep inside the castle. The door was made of heavy iron and heavily guarded; Jace had not been mistaken. 

The plan was to wait for Jace to make his move, start the brawl, then slip through hopefully unharmed. Admittedly it wasn't a great plan, but it was all they had. 

The sound of the main military force marching down the corridor towards the keep was bone chilling. The four turned to watch as Jace, head held high as he walked ahead of his men, confidently approached the Forsaken. 

"Stand aside. We have business with the king," Jace sneered at them, his tone turning to poison on the word king. 

The Forsaken said nothing, as they were known to do. They were nothing but puppets, pliable and only responsive to Sebastian. 

"Alright then. We will do this the hard way," Jace declared. Even from where Alec was hidden he could see the light of excitement in Jace's eyes. He always did like a good clean fight. 

Jace drew his sword and his men followed. The Forsaken immediately did the same.

And the battle was on. 

It was not a wide corridor, and there was not much room for the carnage that instantly began. Fortunately there were enough warriors on both sides to distract the Forsaken from anything but the immediate task at hand. Magnus had thrown up a glamour keep them hidden from the wandering eye, despite how energy draining the spell was. Alec darted out from their hiding place with his companions close on his heels. 

He reached the door with Magnus at his side, who quickly began to use his magic to open the door. Ragnor and Dot had their backs to them, weapons drawn and magic at the ready. 

"Dot, with me," Ragnor ordered. He looked at Alec with determination. "We need to help them. They outnumber the Forsaken but they do not match them in deadliness. You two can do this on your own." 

Alec swallowed heavily and met Magnus' glowing eyes. They nodded together. 

Dot pressed a kiss to Magnus' cheek. "You come back alive, you hear?" She whispered. She leapt forward and granted Alec his own kiss. "And you too." 

Then they were gone. 

Fortunately Magnus and Alec continued to go unnoticed as the battle raged around them. Alec stayed pressed against him as one by one the locks fell away from the door, refusing to turn and survey the scene. 

"Got it," Magnus finally breathed. They carefully pushed open the door only enough to slip inside, then shut it behind them. They hurried up the stairs to the top of the tower, feet making the barest of sounds. As soon as they reached the top they stumbled into a wide open room, undecorated except for the one centerpiece of the room; a large obsidian throne. And upon that throne-

"I was wondering when you would get here."

It was like ice in his veins, the sound of that voice. Alec hadn't heard it since the end of the Mortal War, when this traitor had screamed his revenge before disappearing from Idris. It was the voice of the man who had taken his throne. Who had murdered his mother. Who was threatening his people. 

Sebastian. 

Alec's skin crawled at the sight of the king's crown nestled in his blond hair. A cold smile graced his handsome face but his eyes were alight with rage. 

"Sebastian," Alec steadily replied, motioning for Magnus to drop the glamour. No need to waste the energy if Sebastian already knew they were there. 

"Alexander," he purred in response. Whereas when Magnus spoke his name Alec could feel a thrill of warmth run through him, the same was like sludge dripping from Sebastian's mouth. "I suppose I owe you a great debt for leaving the crown behind for me. I knew you would be a weak king, but I certainly never expected it to be quite that easy. And now you turn up, like a lamb to slaughter. How thoughtful of you." 

He turned his stare towards Magnus. 

"And you brought such a dignified guest with you. You should have let me know, I would have rolled out the red carpet." 

Magnus clenched his hands into fists but stayed silent. They both knew he was simply trying to bait them. 

When neither of them spoke, Sebastian leaned forward in his seat. 

"Ah, the silent treatment. Do really think that will work? You're just going to stand here and stare at me until I acquiesce?" 

He stood and walked down the marble steps at his feet. 

"You left the crown behind, Alexander. You turned your back on your people and left them to me. You think you, a weak and pathetic failure of a king, can defeat me after all this time?" 

He was getting closer.

"I am a god among you petty humans. I have never been defeated, not by all of the military strength of Idris. I certainly will not fall before you and your  _ pet."  _

Almost there. 

"I am going to enjoy watching you die, you and your traitorous friend Jace. My Forsaken will tear his men limb from limb and leave you with no one. I will hang your sister and brother from the gates, letting them slowly asphyxiate to death. I will make you watch as I rip out the eyes of this foreign king you have brought before me. I am the king now, all of Idris shall bow to me, now and-" 

Suddenly Sebastian was blown back by a huge gust of magic. He had been within inches of Alec's face, whose hand was wrapped around the hilt of his knife ready to attack, but now he was thirty feet back, crumbled on the floor, barely moving. 

Alec turned to look at Magnus in shock. That had not been part of the plan. 

Magnus was wavering on his feet, already exhausted from the glamour and lock picking. His eyes, beautiful as always, were glowing softly as they met Alec's. 

"What a dick," he said, just before pitching forward into Alec's waiting arms. He slowly lowered Magnus to the floor. 

"You didn't have to do that, I had it under control," Alec admonished. Magnus chuckled. 

"I was sick of listening to him. You still get to finish him off though." 

Alec looked over to where Sebastian lay unmoving. "I cannot kill an unarmed, unconscious man," he admitted. 

He let go of Magnus and leaned him against the wall. He stalked over to the body of the man who had caused so much pain and terror. Up close, when he wasn't sneering or raving like a lunatic, he really looked quite ordinary indeed. 

Alec reached down and plucked the crown from his head, giving it a quick wipe on his shirt before placing it on his own. He had only worn it once before, but it did feel right, 

With a heavy breath he made eye contact with Magnus, who sent him a soft smile. 

"Every bit the king I always thought you could be," he murmured. 

So Alec threw open the doors to keep. The rightful king had returned. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I cannot write acceptable fight scenes worth a damn SO I made a different choice and split the difference. I apologize to anyone who thought there would be a massive battle in this story but I'm certainly no George R. R. Martin.  
> Title from To Be Alone by Hozier


	6. Just Put Your Sweet Lips on My Lips

The battle was still raging when Alec emerged from the keep, but with Ragnor and Dot's involvement the tide had turned in their favor. Alec immediately drew his weapon and helped his people put an end to the last of the Forsaken.

As the battle finally came to an end, the ground littered with the dead, Jace met Alec's eyes as he stood. 

"Boys," Jace's voice thundered as the last enemy fell. "Bow before your king." 

Alec slowly removed his blade from a Forsaken's chest and rose from where he was kneeling on the ground. Magnus had arrived in the doorway to the keep, leaning heavily on the wood but looking less pale. 

Plenty of Jace's men had fallen in the fight. Those who had not were beaten and bloody. Still, they all turned to see Alec, mouths gaping in awe at the presence of a man who only weeks ago had been declared dead. 

Slowly they lowered themselves to their knees, heads bowed. Jace joined them, playfully refusing to take his eyes off of his brother. Alec nodded once in gratitude. 

"No need for that, gentlemen," he admonished gently. "You fought bravely today, and you have my thanks and respect. If a few of you could go into the keep and take our newest prisoner to the dungeon, I would be all the more grateful." 

Jace raised as eyebrow and motioned for two of his men to go. "You didn't kill him?" he asked. Alec shook his head. "I couldn't. He was unarmed and incapacitated, thanks to Magnus. Besides, despite everything he's done I want to give him a fair trial. More than he's given anyone else." 

Jace nodded thoughtfully, then gazed around at his fallen companions. 

"A lot of good men gave their lives here today," he murmured, his eyes sad. Alec swallowed heavily. 

"He will pay, Jace. We just have to do it the right way."

Jace pursed his lips but gave Alec a careful pat on the shoulder. "The right way it is," he said, and walked away to begin the process of cleaning up. 

Magnus walked up to Alec, resting a hand on his arm. Alec turned, only to see a tinge of sadness in his eyes. 

"What's wrong," Alec asked, his heart thudding in his chest. 

"Dot… she's really hurt Alexander, I don't have the energy to help her," he croaked. Alec immediately hurried to where Dot and Ragnor were crouched against a wall. He had seen them when he's walked out, but had not thought they were hurt beyond being tired from using their magic. How wrong he was. 

"Dot," he whispered as he took a knee beside her. Ragnor's own magic was swirling around a wound in her side, but like Magnus he was clearly exhausted. Magnus collapsed next to Alec, taking Dot's hand gently. 

"Jace!" Alec roared. His brother turned from where he was speaking to one of his men. "Go get Isabelle, quickly." 

"I already sent someone to get a healer," Jace replied. Alec shook his head. 

"I want Isabelle on this one," he said solemnly. His sister was one of the best healers in Idris; if she couldn't help Dot no one could. 

Jace inclined his head and motioned for one of his men to find Isabelle. "She's gonna chew your head off, you know that right?" he questioned. 

Alec turned back to Dot, watching her face get paler as Ragnor's magic barely made a dent. "I'll deal with it. I know she'll at least wait until she's done all she can." 

Dot smiled weakly. "I assume this… Isabelle… is a friend?" she croaked. Alec smiled back. 

"A sister, a friend, and a great healer. I owe you a great debt, Dorothea. The least I can do is offer the very best we have." 

Jace had been correct that Izzy would be furious upon seeing Alec again. Her face had cycled quickly between disbelief, joy, and settled on rage. Alec had fortunately been able to refocus her attentions as soon as he showed her Dot, and she had immediately gotten to work. 

"Oh, we are going to have words," she had hissed as she slipped past him. Alec knew he was in for it when the dust settled. 

A few hours later found Alec, Magnus, Ragnor and Jace outside of the infirmary in the castle. As soon as Izzy had taken Dot away, Alec had led his companions to the throne room, where he had briefly sat upon his throne and officially ordered one of the many pages to announce his return. 

Not all of the Forsaken had been outside of the keep. Alec hoped that with their leader in custody they would simply disappear, but he knew better. He stationed the military outside of the castle, tripling the man power so that any attempts to free Sebastian would be stopped before they even began. He planned to keep his promise; Sebastian would receive a fair, if swift, trial and sentence. 

Izzy emerged looking haggard but pleased. She reported that Dot would live, but wouldn't be strong enough to travel for awhile. Everyone released a sigh of relief at the news. 

"Alright, now that the crisis has been averted," Izzy began, then smacked Alec on the back of the head. 

"Ow!" he whined with a pout. 

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" she screeched. "You were dead, Alec, DEAD. How could you do that to us? To Max? We'd just lost mom, we were already so scared to lose you!" 

"I know, I know," Alec sighed. "I have a lot to make up for." 

Isabelle humphed and crossed her arms. "You bet you do." Then she softened. "I know why you did it. I get it. It doesn't mean I'm not furious," she admitted as she wrapped her arms around her brother's waist, "but I get it." 

Alec place a hand on Izzy's head and carded his fingers through her hair. She was alive, he was alive, Magnus and Ragnor and Dot and Jace and Max were alive. There was so much to be done, but it was certainly a start. 

* * *

They executed Sebastian the following week. Sporadic attacks from the Forsaken had kept the military quite busy, but no one had broken through to rescue their leader. The trial was as fair as Alec could make it, but with so much evidence and testimony against him, Sebastian never really stood a chance.

The execution was not a joyous affair. Something in Alec wished there was another way, but Sebastian was beyond help. If they were to keep him locked up he would eventually escape, leaving them all in a much worse spot than before. 

Still, as the floor was removed and the noose snapped his neck, Alec felt remorse. 

The fallout of running from the throne had been a problem all its own. Alec really had Magnus to thank for even getting through it. Alicante's advisors had not been thrilled about being kept out of the plan, and it was only with Magnus' presence and support that they were talked down from stripping Alec of the crown. 

Ragnor represented Dot in the talks with the council and Alec about trade, as she was still recovering, and managed to make some leeway in immigration with Magnus' help. The council were not thrilled with the promises Alec had made while in Edom, but it quickly became clear that it had not only been the only way, but also the best way. Official documents were drafted and signed by both Magnus and Alec and a new peace dawned for the two kingdoms. 

Later that week Alec sat alone on the balcony he had, only weeks before, climbed down to escape his impending doom. Two days after Sebastian's death and they had seen no more of the Forsaken. Whether they died when he did, cosmically linked to his blackened soul, or if they had slunk away into the dark with no master to serve, Alec was unsure. As long as they didn't come back he really couldn't find himself to care. 

He was king now. They had crowned him again, in a hasty and much less pompous ceremony, the day after the battle. He had done everything he could to make his way back, to retake the throne in order to have the power to make real change for his people. And now… now he wasn't so sure.

He didn't turn when he heard the sound of the glass doors to the balcony opening, despite the late hour. He could tell by the sound of his feet that it was Magnus coming to stand beside him. 

"Hey," he whispered, despite their being alone. Magnus chuckled. 

"Hey," he replied just as quietly. "What are you doing out here?" 

Alec leaned forward onto his elbows and stared out at the garden below. "Thinking," he mused. He knew he had to have this conversation, but it all felt too soon. 

"How's Dot?" he carefully asked. Magnus hummed and laced his fingers with Alec's where they gripped the balcony. 

"Almost good enough to travel home," he stated softly. Alec felt his heart flutter; of course Magnus had seen through him, seen the bigger question hidden among his actual concern. 

Magnus had stayed behind after Ragnor had finished business with the council, saying he would return with Dot once she was healthy enough to be moved. Ragnor had rolled his eyes but not protested at Magnus' feeble attempts to stay in Idris just a bit longer. 

"What are we going to do, Magnus?" Alec sighed, his head falling forward onto his chest and his eyes sinking closed. 

He felt a warm, soft hand cup his cheek and turn his face to look at him. He opened his eyes and were met with Magnus', a small sad smile on his face. 

"Alexander," he admonished gently, "when we said goodbye last time, were you not convinced that would be the last time you would see me? Somehow, we found our way back to each other; why should it be different this time?"

"Because now we have this… responsibility, this weight on our shoulders that we cannot get rid of," Alec groaned. He turned to lean against the balcony, nuzzling his head into Magnus' shoulder. "I could give it up, you know. I could hand the crown over to Jace, come with you to Edom." 

He said it with only the slightest amount of hope. He already knew the answer. 

"You could. But you would spend your life wishing you could have done more, been more, for your people. It is the same reason that, no matter how much I wish, I cannot give up my throne and stay here with you," Magnus mumbled.

It hurt, but it was true. He loved Magnus, with everything he had, but he was meant to be in Idris. He was meant to help people like Maia and Raphael and Simon. He couldn't abandon them all again, not even for love. 

"I do love you, you know," Magnus breathed into his hair. Alec allowed himself a small smile despite the heaviness in his heart. 

"Oh, so now is a good time?" he joked. Magnus elbowed him softly in the ribs. 

"With us, I'm beginning to think there is never going to be a 'good' time. Only… better times," he admitted. Alec pulled him by the waist to stand in front of him, pressing their foreheads together.  

"I love you too. More than you know," he whispered between them. Magnus leaned up and sealed their lips together in a soft kiss. It was the closest either of them would be able to get to saying goodbye. 

Three days later Magnus and Dot boarded a ship back to Edom. Alec made an official speech to the people of Idris who had gathered to send them off, with the knowledge that their king had only been safely returned by the bravery and selflessness of the warlocks before them. 

The speech was heartfelt, but clinical. No one would be able to tell from his words the anguish that Alec was feeling as he bid Magnus farewell, and thank you, and hope to build a good relationship between our kingdoms with you.

Alec had already whispered everything he had to say to Magnus into his skin that morning, hoping that there was some magic in the world that would let his words stay tattooed forever on his lover's soul. 

His words to Dot in the speech had been more sincere; he was eternally grateful for her help and sacrifice, and though it meant they had to leave, he was thrilled she had made a full recovery. 

With the ship fading into the horizon, Alec felt a gentle hand on his shoulder. His sister had a sad smile on her face and a grave understanding in her eyes. 

"Oh, big brother. I am so sorry," she told him as they left the dock to return to the castle. Alec let his head fall back as they settled in the coach, Izzy's hand slipping into his own. 

"It's for the best," he croaked. "We both knew it was coming." 

"Doesn't mean you don't have every right to be sad about it," she reminded him, giving his hand a squeeze, before casting her gaze out the window and graciously allowing him some privacy. 

Alec looked out the window on his side, which was turned towards the ocean. He couldn't see Magnus' ship anymore, a heartbreaking though to say the least. He released a shuddering breath and a few salty tears, and let his head rest on the cool glass. 

They had found a way back to each other once, he reminded himself. They could do it again. 

* * *

Three months later found King Alexander of Idris sitting in his throne, reading through correspondence. It was the most taxing part of his job, and the part that made him feel by far the most useless.

So far he was shaping up to be a fairly good king. He had allowed Isabelle to take over as weapons master for the military, and Jace was still the first in command, so he had his defense against a stubborn and conservative council. New programs for the kingdom were in the works and Alec had made many personal trips around the kingdom both to regale his people with the tales of his return (which the children adored) and to hear their grievances directly (which the adults respected). 

There old allies had remained as strong as before, though they had been unable to reach the queendom of the Seelie Queen and her fairies. Jace had told him not to worry about it, but Alec was unsure. 

He hadn't seen Magnus since they had parted ways three months before, but there had been a steady stream of correspondence between Idris and Edom. Alec enjoyed the letters from Dot, Ragnor and Cat, slogged through the tirades sent by Lorenzo, carefully took care of the pictures and notes sent by Madzie, and read every word Magnus himself penned, official or otherwise, until the pages were frayed at the edges. 

Isabelle had found him reading a more personal letter in his room once, and had sat with her brother as his tears smeared the ink. 

Today, Jace was seated at a small table near the throne, reading through the reports from the military bases. 

"Still nothing on the Seelies," he sighed as he carefully folded up the reports to be filed away. "But otherwise nothing in need of attention." 

Alec hummed his approval and set aside a letter from the lycanthropes. They had never been that involved with Idris, but it seemed as through their most recent leader, Luke, was looking for a chance to change that. 

"I know it's not your job, but you knew Jordan Kyle. Would you hate me if I sent you to meet with Lucian Graymark? I don't know how much good it will do you, but pretty much no one else has ever met a lycanthrope." 

Jace braced his elbows on his desk and shrugged. 

"No skin off my nose. Potentially," he added. Alec sent him a rueful smile before rubbing at his temple. Correspondence always gave him a headache. 

Suddenly, a fire message zipped into the room. Without even thinking about it, Alec reached up to grab it out of the air. 

"Woah, how the fuck," Jace said. He stood, hand on the hilt of his sword. Fire messages were not supposed to be able to get past the wards set up around the throne room, relegating them to a basket outside to be brought in after they had been skimmed through first. 

Alec had made sure only one person could bypass the wards for fire messages. He had done it before they had left, just in case. 

With trembling fingers he unfolded the smoldering paper, reading over the message inside. 

"Well?" Jace demanded. Alec looked up at him, a spark flickering in his eyes. 

"The Seelie Queen has threatened a declaration of war against Edom. Some kind of broken deal from Asmodeus' days," he replied calmly, folding up the paper and setting it aside. Jace put his hands on his hips. 

"So that's what she's been up to." 

"Who is third in line for the throne, after you?" Alec asked, standing from his throne. Jace frowned at the non sequitur. 

"Uh, Underhill. Why?" 

Alec smiled. "Looks like he's going to be in charge for a bit. Can't leave Edom alone when she so graciously came to our aid, now can we?" 

Jace rolled his eyes. "The council will never let you go yourself, Alec," he said. Alec cocked as eyebrow as he walked down the steps, heading for the exit of the throne room. 

"Ask for forgiveness, not permission!" he called over his shoulder. 

As he walked through the halls of the castle he couldn't fight down the growing smile on his face. The Seelie Queen was a dangerous foe, maybe more dangerous that Sebastian. Magnus' note had made it clear that the situation was treacherous and that he, Alec, should make no attempt to come to their aid himself, and that they only needed some potential military backup. 

How he thought that would work, Alec had no idea. Or maybe he knew it wouldn't, that the moment Alec heard about the threat he would already be halfway to Edom. Either way, there was really only one way this was going to play out. 

He owed it to Edom, to Ragnor, to Dot, to Cat and Madzie. Hell, even to Lorenzo. And most of all, he owed it to Magnus, the man who had taken down Sebastian for him, who had risked his life to help Alec. It was time to do the same. 

And if Alec was being just a little bit selfish? Well, who was to know? 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading!   
> Title is from Like Real People Do


End file.
